The Final Frontier
by Devildice
Summary: Many worlds, many possibilities. However, when one threatens the balance of one world, it affects many. Good becomes evil, and evil is saw as good. One's fate becomes the doom of many. Doom becomes salvation. An Alternate Universe fiction based on animes.
1. It Was All A Dream

_Bleeding both inside and out, he shed tears of pure crimson. Vision blurring, he reached out to his future…or was it to become his dark past? A million questions raced through his cluttered mind, distorted truths creating a new reality._

_Damn him. Damn his haunting smile._

Whispering pleas, tears ran down his pale face as he lay on cotton clouds, Heaven above and Hell below him. The reality he lived in now…what was it? Was it all a sham?

_"You never were fit to be King…"_

"Why?" he choked on his words, willing away the tears sparkling in the eerie moonlight filtering through his windows.

_A beautiful woman…the woman he loved and believed loved him back. Her indifference disgusted him. He reached out to her with a shaking, bandaged hand, but the darkness around him swallowed her. What was this? What did the darkness represent? The confusion weighing his heart down?_

_And again his smile—his evil smile. Damn him._

_"Father?"_

_There was his son standing beside him, a small, black-winged child whose eyes resembled _his.

_The curse…damn him._

_They welcomed the storm forming above them, the darkness slowly slipping away from his sight._

_"Father, what happens now?" He looked up to him, big black eyes gushing with tears. "Where is Mama?"_

_He clenched his fists, looking up at the steel gray clouds. He told him the only thing that came to his mind, "She's not coming. From now on, it's you and me."_

_"Because you weren't fit to be King…"_

_The sudden change of son's voice and his eyes…he lost his breath as he backed away. "What?" he shuddered. "No, son. That's not--"_

_His son wore the same smile, the smile he despised ever so. "You were not worthy."_

_A shattering of glass, the world around him fell apart and he fell into darkness once again. No one but the demons inside his heart heard his screams._

"Please…," he uttered.

_And the one troubling him ever so was there once again when he opened his eyes. They stood face-to-face, but they were worlds apart. His adversary's side was the life he took away from him. She was there, standing by his side._

_Damn him and his smile. "You have nothing but darkness now, Artemis."_

_He loathed that name almost as much as he hated the one he called, "Erebus…"_

_Artemis' side was nothingness. Erebus was right. He was left with nothing now. Broken, confused, and disgusted he had nothing to lose._

_"Do you hate me?" Erebus asked him, mocking him once more with his evil smirk. "Do you have the resolve to kill your own brother?"_

_Artemis' hands tightened around his weapon. _

_Malicious mauve eyes widened at the soft, battered face of Artemis. Erebus reached out to him, offering a way to free himself from the nightmare. There was only one path to take._

_"Kill me."_

_Wrapped in blood-soaked bandages, the phoenix trembled with rage. His brother's words failing to reach his chaotic mind, he read his lips perfectly._

_"You are afraid, as I thought."_

_Only one thing ran through his mind that he truly desired. It wasn't his brother life. No, that would be too easy. He wanted that which was unreachable._

_His past._

_Damn him. Damn Erebus and his smile._

"_As long you harbor that fear, you can never touch me…phoenix of the sun…"_

* * *

"Good morning, Artemis City! This is Scott Bailey with your morning weather! Looks to be sunny today, highs in the upper 80s! A little bit of humidity, but that's--"

_**Smash!**_

As if the alarm wasn't frightening enough, Jin Phoebus shot straight up from his bed from the ear-shattering noise. After realizing the culprit, however, his shock quickly dissolved into irritation. "What're you doing, son?" he asked him in a low, growling tone.

Caught with his hands in the cookie jar, Blade Phoebus lifted his boot off the shattered alarm clock, and gave his father a stern look. "You serious? This thing has been going on forever. I can even hear it in my room."

Jin sighed. "Still, was that even--"

"I sleep three freakin' rooms away from this one!" he cut him off. "You, Dad, are a heavy sleeper."

Jin ignored his son's ranting as he scooted out of his bed, grabbing his robe from the nearby coat rack and slipping into his slippers. He swore Blade really knew how to run at the mouth, and he certainly didn't get that endearing quality from Jin. Even while Jin tended to his morning tasks, he continued ranting.

He tuned into his griping as he started brushing his teeth.

"…I don't know. Maybe she can get a life and stop acting like Miss High and fuckin' Mighty around here. If it weren't for us, she would still be hung up on that whole world domination bullshit she was spouting two months ago! Man, I can't stand women like her, ya know? Always bossy, never giving and always expecting something. Shit, someone stick something in that girl's mouth before I stick something she doesn't want in it."

Jin spit and rinsed before turning to Blade as he pat-dried his mouth with a towel. An aggravated expression pasted on his face, he could say only one thing. "Son, if you have a problem with _her_, how do you expect to get along with any future members?"

Blade regarded him with the same face. "As long as they're not bitches like her, which she is. And why the hell do we need new members anyway?"

Jin tuned his son out again whilst pushing him out of the bathroom door. Slamming it shut, he could still hear him complaining. Even when he turned on the shower to full blast, he could hear him. Telling his son to shut up directly was not in Jin Phoebus' nature. He was soft-spoken—unlike his son, which went with his delicate yet handsome appearance. Slightly muscular but athletic enough to lift more than his body weight, he founded the organization known as the World Heroes three months ago around the Sorcery Seven incident. Since then, they've grown very popular, recruiting hundreds of soldiers every week, though none has shown the potential to join the World Heroes Elite. So far, the Elites only consisted of three members: Blade, Jin, and _her_.

Gods,_her_.

* * *

Sitting between the two bitter enemies, it was surprising the scorching heat between his son Blade and the beautiful yet spiteful sorceress named Maelstrom didn't affect Jin. Appealing to any man's eyes, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed sorceress was Blade's mortal enemy and she knew it. Personally, she didn't like him either, but Jin wasn't sure why.

A sip of tea later and the sparks began to fly.

"So, who the hell said you could rearrange my personal gym area for your sorcery crap, woman?" Blade fired the opening salvo.

Another sip of tea. Jin needn't worry as he was tucked away in his bunker of obliviousness.

"Well, I have no room in my bedroom, and plus I need to keep my books somewhere," she countered.

"Put them in the library then. I need space in my gym, and your stuff is in the way when I start to get serious."

Another sip.

"I'm not mixing up sorcery spells and history with human literature. Are you crazy?"

"Not as crazy as to what you've done to the lounge. Why do we need wind chimes? We're fucking inside a base fifteen thousand feet in the sky!"

"We do have central air circulating, so why not? Is that a problem?"

And yet another sip. It was good tea.

"Damn right there is. It's annoying. Put them in your own room."

"I already have. This place could use some renovating anyway."

"Not from you it doesn't!"

That shot sparked more than what Blade hoped for, the pupils of Maelstrom's blue eyes grew smaller as she rose from her chair. "Your attitude is really pissing me off, bird boy."

As did Blade. "And your renovations are striking my last nerve,_Princess_."

"Careful, Blade. I'll have you hacking up piss when I'm done with you."

"And I'll have you in pieces. Try me, bitch."

"You first, bastard."

He placed his cup on the saucer and smiled. "Maelstrom?"

Gasping upon hearing her name from his sweet voice, she quickly returned the grin. "Yes, Jin?"

"Do you mind turning up the TV? I'm interested in the news coming on now."

"Of course." Grabbing the remote from the kitchen counter, she pointed it at the plasma wall television placed on the refrigerator, the volume gradually increasing until the male announcer's voice became audible. She and Blade silently called a ceasefire…at least until Jin finished watching the news.

"And today is an X-treme sports fans' holiday as the EX-Games kick off at Artemis City's Athena Stadium. Local and National professionals from Earth One and Two will gather here in what critics say will be an awe-inspiring display of talent and speed."

Maelstrom couldn't help but shake her head. "Jin, I highly doubt this is worth your time," she commented, laughing a little. "I mean, what do sports have to do with our mission?"

Jin's smile remained, despite the sorceress' doubts. "You will see, Maelstrom. Just listen."

Listen she did as the telecaster approached a trio of teenagers wearing high-tech gear. "And we're just in luck. I have here with me one of the teams that is said will dominate the speed events today. Excuse me, could I have a moment of your time?"

The teens stopped, noticing the cameras watching their every move. A colorful bunch of goggle-headed boys, the obvious ringleader offered the man his time.

"Oh, this _is_ a treat. A resident of Earth One's South Island resident, Olgilvie Maurice, Team Captain of the Blitzkrieg Bomb--"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the blue-haired boy cut the news reporter off with authority. "Dude, _don't_ use that name. Use the one advertised."

"Oh," the reporter chuckled, loosening his collar. Maurice's emerald green glare wasn't welcoming and neither was the tapping of his red and white-streaked shoes. He corrected himself immediately, "_Okay_, South Island's own—Maurice Blitzkrieg."

Maurice's thumb-up of approval signaled the reporter to continue with his interview.

"Alright, Mister Blitzkrieg. What're your thoughts on coming here to Artemis City to compete in this star system's greatest extreme sports event?"

"It's an awesome experience. I see it as the chance of a lifetime for a new adventure around popular cities such as this city."

"Yes, I'm sure Artemis City is a definite change of pace from the usual, relaxed beat you and your brothers follow on South Island. Tell me though; did you realize you and your brothers had so many fans?"

Maurice noticed the fan-girls behind the barricades in the background and laughed, "Honestly, no. I'm not used this big of a crowd and a fanbase? Kinda overwhelming, ya know?"

"Hah, well hopefully it doesn't affect your team's concentration in today's race?"

"No of course not."

"That's good; because I'm pretty sure the world wants to know if the rumors are true."

The team captain's smile of confidence said it all. He clenched his fist. "Don't worry. Today, I plan on putting the rumors to rest and showing ya'll what racing is all about."

"And there you have it, folks," the anchorman concluded as Maurice turned back to his brothers air-blading in the bowl, "the team leader of the Blitzkrieg Bombers promising us quite a show here in a couple of hours. Back to you--"

The television screen faded to black and Jin tapped the remote on his chin, his smile growing ever so slyer. "And there you have it. Our newest member of the Elite."

Blade tucked a strand of his long, black hair behind his ear as he passed a glance at Maelstrom before giving his father a stern look. He and Maelstrom both had to ask, because frankly, the whole thing reeked of conspiracy.

"Are you serious?"

_**A/N:**__Well, here it is. The prologue of the project I've been working on for the past few months. And some old readers of my fanfics may be wondering themselves, "Are you serious?" Yes, I'm rewriting the story from a different plot, but I hope you can still enjoy it. I will try my best to update daily as well—if not almost daily, and at the most weekly. Anyway, there's more to come. :_

_**Jin:**__ "Why yes. Yes, I am serious."_

_Disclaimer: Though in an Alternate Universe personality or whatever my twisted mind may come up with, I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog, Yu-gi-oh, Squaresoft, Jak and Daxter, Inuyasha, Bleach characters in any way, shape or form. I will extend the disclaimer as more fandoms come into the story._


	2. Storm Surge

**2 Days Ago**

**Location: Abandoned Factory somewhere in Neo-North America**

**Time: 21:00**

"Talon One, this is Ghost One, do you copy?"

The pressing of the button against the headset opened the lines of transmission. "This is Talon. Go ahead with message, Ghost One."

"Copy, we've completed primary and secondary sweep of the exterior portion of the area. Negative findings. We're standing by on the set coordinates for your arrival."

"Copy, keep me posted, Ghost One." Releasing the pressure on the button, the female Commanding Officer, sat back on the railing as the Black Sparrow began its descent.

It weathered the storm fair enough, she supposed. A small, support helicopter for an infantry squad would have been suicide to use if they had grounds to believe the enemy's territory had anti-air capabilities, but from the sound of the recent report, there were no signs of defense at all. She didn't like this setup though. Not at all.

"Ma'am, thirty seconds until we land at the drop-off point," announced the pilot over the intercom.

The young woman looked up at her squad of four armored troopers, brushing blue strands of hair from her eyes. "You heard the man. Ready yourselves."

* * *

It was difficult to discern the whirring of the rotors form the incoming Sparrow over the pouring rain, but 1st Lieutenant Trent McCloud was sure the Nexus agent assigned to his ground team heard it. He heard a little about her, mostly about her incredibly good looks. Though the rumors were true, McCloud knew how to keep pleasure and business separate.

The helicopter was within earshot as it swept over the LT and his team. From it, five steel cables descended. Talon's team rappelled quickly, not wasting any time taking tactical positions with the rest of the soldiers behind the building near the objective. Talon came down last, shouldering her short M6 carbine as she approached the LT.

McCloud snapped to attention and saluted. "Area secure, Commander!" he shouted over the rain.

Talon rendered a quick salute. "You said there were no hostiles inside?"

McCloud nodded. "Affirmative."

"I don't like this setup."

"A trap, of course."

A nod from Talon. She pointed to random teams and began reviewing the course of action (COA). It was a simple strategy of storming the facility from all sides while keeping to defense. Team Alpha would storm in from the north side and clear out the building up to second floor before standing by for Team Bravo. Bravo would enter from the south side, clear it, and join up with Alpha to clear the rest of the floors.

Charlie—which would consist of Talon, McCloud, and the Nexus agent and remaining Storm Soldiers—would do conduct more thorough sweeps of each floor to ensure no clues were overlooked. The Storm Soldiers were well fitted to face any opposition. Heavies came equipped with M75 Saw Machine guns while the Assaulters had the standard issue M7 Carbines. Though it wasn't so much opposition that had the Commander concerned.

"Something wrong?" The Nexus Agent's sultry voice and smile wasn't comforting. Talon didn't trust her. Talon knew of the relationship between her association, the Inter-Galactic Police Force, and Nexus. The IGPF was a private military organization like the World Heroes, but the Neo-US government privately funded Nexus. It was no coincidence that their interests laid in this single mission.

No, there was much more to that woman and her group's objective tonight. Hopefully, they wouldn't have to collide.

Hopefully.


	3. This Machine

"Alpha Team, move!"

Kicking down the door with authority, Alpha Team rushed into the wet corridors of the abandoned war facility, night vision goggles active as they trained their laser-sighted weapons downrange. Anything that dared to move while on their watch would have two bullets to its chest and one in the head. Room by room, they cleared out the northern quadrant of the building. The squad leader kept Talon posted as she, McCloud, and the Nexus agent awaited outside underneath a nearby shed.

"Northern section is clear thus far, Commander."

"Copy, keep me posted, Alpha…break…Bravo Team, are you in position?"

"That's an affirmative, Talon."

"Roger that. You have permission to storm the southern section of the building. I repeat, strike at once!"

"Hoo-rah! Proceeding with strike!"

Talon lowered her hand from her headset and sighed. "All right. Let's get going, LT."

"Roger that, Ma'am." He saluted and turned to his men, pointing to the objective behind him. "Proceed to the northern quadrant!"

A "Hoo-rah" from the Storm Soldiers and they double-timed to the entrance. To a civilian, it would be surprising how IGPF soldiers were able to maneuver so well in their heavy armor. The Storm armor alone weighed sixty-five pounds, and with the addition of the weighed of the additional gear and weapons, it was amazing they could even move. Talon and McCloud's armor, on the other hand were state-of-the-art _Armour_, capable of increasing and decreasing protection on body parts at a single command. Of course, the two had their own special modifications added, Talon's perhaps the most lethal.

Talon, the Lieutenant, and the Nexus agent shadowed the soldiers as they scanned the area. All three donned their night vision goggles, and observed the factory. It was cluttered, many abandoned machine parts scattered about. There were definite signs of the factory being used as a war facility, no doubt. The question on Talon's mind however was the location of their target.

"Commander, third floor secure. Proceeding to fourth floor."

"Copy, keep me informed on anything unusual, Alpha."

"Copy."

"Maybe this isn't a trap, Commander," LT pondered aloud, his M7 holstered at the waist-side. "Maybe he's just moved to another location."

"How could he have known of this operation, Lieutenant?" Talon countered, crossing her arms as she followed the troops up the flight of creaking stairs. "This was top-secret information, only to be shared by the Neo-United States government's Department of Defense."

"We were informed in our usual, encrypted transmissions," the female agent informed them. She shrugged nonchalantly. "What happens before then is the Americans' folly."

"Probably some damn CNN reporter with diarrhea at the mouth," McCloud sneered."Wouldn't surprise me one bit."

The agent giggled. "I'm inclined to agree, McCloud."

"_Lieutenant_McCloud, Agent," he pressed with a slight scowl, his golden glare adding venom.

His warning didn't faze the hooded female as she grinned. "You can call me Rouge."

He snorted. "This is a mission, Agent Rouge. Don't try to get friendly with me. You're wasting your time."

"What about after?" she purred.

Talon scoffed as they went around the bend to the next flight of stairs. "Stow it. The both of you."

McCloud nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."

Rouge, however, only snickered. "Sorry, but you aren't my commanding officer."

"For this mission, you are."

With a Cheshire-like grin, Rouge wagged her finger. "Uh-uh…though this is a joint operation between our organizations, I am not inclined to take orders from you."

Rouge's blasé attitude racked on Talon's nerves, but she told the truth. Talon had no official authority over her, which was what worried her most. Her agenda ran a risk of conflicting with theirs, and that would—

"Talon, this Alpha Team! We've confirmed an anomaly on the fourth floor laboratory! Standing by with orders, Ma'am!"

Talon wasted no time responding, "Stand-by until I get there! Repeat, do not investigate until I get there!"

"Alpha and Bravo team acknowledges."

Rouge laughed as they hurried up the stairs behind the Storm Soldiers. "Finally things get interesting."

Bringing their M7s low and ready, Talon and McCloud prepared to face possible enemies. Nonetheless, it was strange. There was negative movement when the Black Sparrow swept the area with its infrared scanner. Not even machines would go undetected, unless the enemy possessed stealth technology. If that were case, things really would get interesting.

Arriving on the fourth floor, Talon and her men hurried to Alpha and Bravo teams' side. Both team stood on opposite sides of the closed iron door. Talon's team took positions in front of the door, weapons downrange. They all waited for her signal to open the door.

"_Storm_!"

Pressing the enter button on the side keypad, the door hissed open and Talon wasted no time in rushing in. Her methods didn't lie in being 'tactical'. She believed the procedures she learned in IGPF boot camp to be 'bullshit'. Hell, she never even went to the boot camp.

She proceeded to clear out the room, checking every nook and cranny in the pitch-black room. So far, so good but it didn't call for any relaxation. Finishing the outer sweep of the room, she joined her men as they investigated the source of the strange reading. She shared their disbelief as she drew closer. Things indeed became more interesting, but she never imagined in this way. The Storm Soldiers kept their sights on the large stasis chamber, their lasers trained on the naked figure floating inside the glowing tube.

"What the hell?" McCloud lowered his M7, scowling as he circled the stasis chamber with his Commander.

Talon watched the person inside sleeping peacefully, ignorant to the severity of the mission at hand. "A prisoner…or one of his creations?"

"Neither,_Commander_."

Talon and McCloud's heads snapped to Rouge as she sauntered past them to the main computer controlling the stasis chamber. Immediately Talon took aim at the agent, her followers doing the same.

Still, she turned to them with her coy expression, unzipping her coat and letting down her hood. Wearing a revealing two-piece black leather suit under her coat, the agent cupped her hands around her hips.

"What do you think you're doing, Agent Rouge?" Talon questioned bluntly.

Again, she chuckled. She really was irritating; amazing how the Commander resisted the urge to fill her pretty body with holes.

"Answer my question or I shoot."

"Fulfilling my mission and retrieving the project from Space Colony ARK of 2026."

"Space Colony ARK?" McCloud echoed. It was during his childhood and before Talon's time. Though he had a feint grasp of what occurred during that crisis…, "How can a project from Space Colony ARK be here? That was over fifty years ago!"

Rouge's ears twitched as her grin grew more devious. "All the more reason for him to be housed here. This machine…Project Shadow."

Talon lost her breath when she heard those words, her aim faltering as forgotten memories flooded into her mind. "Impossible…"

But it was. Here before her was a weapon built for mass destruction—Project Shadow.

Her intuition never failed her, and tonight was no different.


	4. And We Danced In Fire

"The Neo-US government's agency, GUN, handled the operation of taking the ARK back from the colonists gone rogue. They eliminated every project created there, so how did this project escape?" McCloud interrogated Rouge.

Smoothing her short white hair, Rouge answered the Lieutenant's question without hesitation, "That's unknown, even to us, but when the Neo-US reviewed the documents concerning the projects aboard the ARK, they saw that one of the projects was never found…see where I'm getting at?"

"So, you're here to finish the job then?"

"On the contrary, I'm taking Shadow back."

"The Americans want Shadow?" Talon barked. "For what? As a weapon?" She shook her head, her resolve forcing her weapon back onto Rouge. "Sorry, but that's not happening. He won't be used for destruction."

Rouge grunted, playfully pointing her gloved finger at the Commander as if she were in control. Sixteen soldiers with weapons aimed at every point of her delicate body said otherwise, but she continued to toy with Talon and McCloud. "You didn't hear me right, did you, dear? I said I'm taking him back."

"Back to Nexus then?" McCloud gasped. "That makes no…"

The LT paused, noticing her grin growing slyer. It was becoming clear. The Neo-US didn't want Shadow, did they? But if that were case, then who assigned Nexus the mission? Better yet, who assigned Rouge…?

No. If that were the case, then this entire operation—

"Don't even think of moving, Rouge!" Talon roared.

Rouge read Talon's expression perfectly. "So, you figured it out, huh?"

"Figured what out, Commander?" McCloud stammered, his grip on the rifle faltering ever so slightly.

Talon's aim remained steady and true on the real threat standing before them. "Rouge isn't under the American's orders. The truth is that she's--"

"I wonder if you Special Forces can match a Nexus Superior," challenged the double agent, careful of her movements in front of the soldiers. They remained subtle enough to go undetected. She continued to distract them with her words as she gradually reached for the button on her accessory belt, "Especially against such a high-ranking Superior such as myself."

"Don't kid yourself. You're facing fourteen Storm Soldiers and two top IGPF Special Forces. You're done. I won't let Shadow fall into the wrong hands!"

"That's no longer your call, _Commander_."

A blink of an eye and dozens of knives pierced the crevices of the Storm Soldiers' armor, lighting the war factory brighter than the lightning crackling outside as sparks of blue short-circuited the mobility chips inside the Storm Armor. Without them, they were humans trapped in mere statues as the crafty Rouge rushed McCloud and Talon. Able to move quicker with their special Armour, the Special Forces members welcomed the so-called Nexus Superior's frontal assault with a barrage of bullets.

A flash of lightning and Rouge disappeared! The bright light from the outside blinded them because of their night vision goggles and Rouge capitalized on their flaws as she taunted them. "Maybe you'll shoot me if you get rid of your goggles." Her steel-toed crashed down on the side of McCloud's neck and the power packed behind the blow knocked him flat on his face. Rouge snickered, her speed impressing Talon as phantom images of the agent distorted her NVGs.

"_He_ put you up to this?" Talon questioned her as she followed Rouge by the trail her ghost's movements. She dived and rolled to her right as a knife flew past her, grazing an exposed portion of her leg armor. She hissed and found cover behind one of the steel crates, cursing Rouge's snickers in the distance.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Celeste?"

Talon growled, jumping out of cover and unloading a full clip in the direction of Rouge's voice. How she knew of Talon's true name was beyond her. The IGPF never shared private information with other organizations; Talon's profile was strictly confidential.

"It's useless."

Talon tossed her M6, whipped her slim body around, and met Rouge's knife with weapons of her own in a single motion. Electric blades extended from the wrists of her Armour, creating more sparks of blue as the two weighed force upon their weapons. Her strength enhanced by the gears whirring at high speeds in her Armour, Talon pushed Rouge forward. "Not so useless, is it?" she snarled, observing her foe's body for any openings.

Rouge only smiled, breaking away in a spin, kicking her foot out as she ducked and came around. Talon snatched her leg and utilized Rouge's own momentum to toss her towards the stasis chamber. Unable to stop herself in time, Rouge's body slammed against the base of the computer controlling the chamber. The collision caused the main system to malfunction, setting off chains of explosions all around as the factory began to crumble from all of the action.

Talon kneeled quickly as the floor rumbled, watching cables connected to the stasis chamber snap from the flames surrounding it. She prayed that Shadow never saw the light of day now that the factory's destruction was guaranteed. Floating inside of the chamber, oblivious to the world outside the glass tube, it seemed sad. Celeste pitied Shadow a little. Created as a weapon of mass destruction, he didn't ask for such an existence. No, it was forced upon him. It wasn't fair, but she couldn't allow him to le—

Piercing red eyes froze Talon in an instant of time where fear took control. Her body numb, she didn't notice the sweat falling from her chin. Lieutenant McCloud came to her side, shaking her in an attempt to snap her back to reality, but the line between reality and fantasy became but a blur as the LT exchanged stares with someone who remembered nothing of actuality. Only the here and now mattered. Reaching out to them, he silently demanded his freedom.

Time began anew. Shadow was reborn.


	5. Chaos Controlled

Standing outside in the midst of the dark storm, a figure welcomed the chilling gales with open arms, smiling as the rain beat down on his face. Feeling the vibrations of the explosions from the building in front of him, he looked up at the shards of glass hurdling towards him.

Lightning flashed, lining his silhouette in an eerie white glow. The glass became frozen in time, suspended in mid-air. The mysterious young man smiled, sweeping the long tail of his white trench coat as he continued forward into the collapsing structure before him.

"And time begins again."

In his wake, the glass fell to the ground.

"Shoot him, Commander!" McCloud yelled, frantically searching for his own weapon.

Celeste came back to reality in a hell of a way as she snapped to her feet. Releasing the clip in her M6 with a press of a button on the side of the magazine well, she grabbed another from her belt, slapped it inside the well, took aim and…

"Shoot him, Commander!" the LT shouted again over the roar of the flames dancing around them.

Why couldn't she pull the trigger damn it? If Shadow escaped, people's lives would be in danger. He was created for destruction, wasn't he? His eyes told the story. He would kill if given the opportunity…wouldn't he?

No. His eyes showed murder at first glance, but was that what he truly wanted? Why was she even thinking about it? She needed to prevent his escape and now would be the only chance! She needed to pull the trigger!

"Shadow…," she whispered his name, gazing into his crimson eyes. A haunting innocence surrounded. Her hands began to tremble, the laser dot aimed at Shadow's forehead moving about from its true objective.

McCloud cursed under his breath, grabbing his M7 and firing shots at the stasis chamber. The bullets ricocheted off the glass and the LT bashed his fist on the floor.

"I could have told you that the glass was bulletproof, Trent McCloud."

Nonchalant even as the roof began to fall piece by piece, Rouge came before McCloud and Talon. Smoothing her hair once more, she mocked them with her usual sly smirk.

"Move or I shoot!" he shouted. "I won't hesitate!"

"How can you when your gun is jammed?"

McCloud furrowed an eyebrow. "What're you--"

Before the words came out of his mouth, he found a knife lodged in the barrel of his rifle. As he tried to pull the knife out, Rouge's heel met his forehead, knocking him on the ground headfirst. The Nexus agent then wrapped her arm around Celeste's neck, locking her in a chokehold, burying her knee in the small of her back.

Celeste suffocated on her explicative as Rouge yanked her head back by her ponytail. "You couldn't shoot him because you think you're the same as him?" Rouge whispered, her humid breath making the hairs on Celeste's neck stiff. "Project Super Soldier: Celeste Sinacide. Age: Seventeen as of today. I know all about you. Rest assured, you and Shadow are worlds apart. He is the ultimate life form and in a matter of moments, I'm setting him free."

Rouge knew everything about her. She wouldn't have been surprised if she knew her birthday as well. She was at her mercy. Struggle as she may, Rouge had the advantage. Rendering fifteen of the IGPF's top infantry helpless and taking down two Special Forces members, a Nexus Superior truly was a fearsome foe. And now she was about to complete her mission. How did it come to this?

Celeste asked herself that as Rouge looked up to the ultimate life form floating in the chamber still, eyes exhibiting ennui. "It's time I set you free, Sleeping Beauty," Rouge shouted over the collapsing of the rooftop. "Password: Maria!"

The water inside of the chamber engulfed its captive in a fluorescent white light. Rouge removed Sinacide's goggles so that she could witness with her own eyes the rebirth of Space Colony ARK's greatest project.

The glass dissolved and the water gushed out, soothing the raging flames. A cloud of smoke blurred everyone's vision, however the outline of someone standing in front of the stasis chamber's computer was as clear as day as the lightning flashed once more outside. No doubt, it was Shadow standing there and when the smoke cleared, their suspicions were put to rest.

Rouge grinned. "Mission accomplished."

Releasing her hold on Celeste, she hurried to where Shadow stood.

Or at least where he _was_ standing.

"What? Impossible!" she exclaimed, looking around. "He was just here!"

And then _that_ possibility came to mind. "But he doesn't have a…"

The tremors grew far too violent for her tastes. The building was minutes from collapsing and she would find herself buried in the rubble if she didn't escape. "This is going to make a great report," she told herself, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Looking over her shoulder, she glanced at Sinacide who managed to stand up. Rouge smiled. "Until next time, Celeste," she said under her breath before bursting into a full sprint through the smoke. A press of a button on her belt and wings made of steel sprouted from her back as she dove out of a broken window.

And left for dead with her men, Sinacide stood with her head held high. She wouldn't give in so easily. She had to stay alive for another day.

For herself and to see him again.


	6. Chains of Memory

**Present Day… **

"And in other news, an abandoned factory in the Black Woods area of Illus was found burned down last night. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the IGPF."

He turned the television off, tossed the remote aside, and scowled darkly. "And now everyone is going to be wondering why the hell we're investigating this and not the Marshals!" Trent McCloud roared as he punched the wall. He pinned his golden gaze on the person lounged on the couch. "I hope that was the last time I get put under your command because personally, I think you suck."

"Well, it's not what you think, McCloud," Celeste Sinacide shot back, sitting up and running her hands through her cobalt hair. "It's what our leader thinks, and I'm more--"

"Reckless," he cut her off. "And just when the going gets tough, you freeze up."

Damn Trent for bringing that up. Face-to-face with Project Shadow, she was unable to pull the trigger and eliminate the chance of him falling into the wrong hands. She failed. She admitted she deserved an ass chewing but not from McCloud.

"That's enough, Lieutenant," said an older man entering the office. Dressed in a black and white suit, his tone silenced McCloud and sent Sinacide to her feet. "You should be more grateful to Lieutenant Sinacide. She pulled you out of there, thank the gods."

Trent didn't need to be reminded of Celeste's heroics. He remembered how she ordered the Storm Soldiers to utilize the Override code in their armor, allowing them to break free of the death trap. She then tossed McCloud over her shoulders and led everyone to their 'grand escape' as the burning building came crashing down. Yeah, he was surprised though that she didn't rub it in like every other accomplishment she made.

"I'm not mad at her, General Renoa," he admitted, pulling up a chair next his superior's desk as Renoa sat in his. "I'm just pissed that we got our asses handed to us."

Renoa sighed as he put some papers into a neat stack and put them aside. "It's my fault. Not to belittle your skills, but the two of you are no match for a Nexus Superior."

"Do you know anything about them?" Sinacide found a seat on the arm of the chair Trent was in. "I've just heard of them."

"I was told a Nexus Superior was going to be the agent assisting you at the last minute, but I didn't realize the severity of it until I heard word from a Neo-US FBI agent about the breakdown in communication between the Neo-US and Nexus about the change. According to Neo-US resources, Nexus Superiors are the top agents of the entire organization which consists of thousands."

"So, we never had a chance then?"

Renoa clasped his hands as he propped his elbows on his desk, taking another deep sigh. "I apologize. As a leader, I should keep my troops more informed on changes."

"Don't blame yourself, General," Trent said, pulling his fingers and popping the bones in his knuckles. "We just need to better ourselves for the next time we take those guys on."

"We're not going to pick a fight, Lieutenant," Renoa raised his voice.

McCloud winced, turning his head away from his leader's eyes of black and white. General Roland Renoa was the youngest one-star general in history, proving his worth as a leader during the third World War as a young, brash LT like the two sitting in front of him. It never made it to history books, but Renoa led the attack against the Neo-US alliance in Exodus, ending the war with victory in the hands of Space Forces. He was rewarded for his bravery, given the chance to serve as a part of the council overseeing the United Space Force Alliance—the USFA. Instead, he created his own military regime, one that surpassed the USFA in technology and combat in all areas.

The IGPF. Tens of thousands of soldiers signed up to serve the Inter-Galactic Police Force when they heard General Renoa was in command. He was a hero to many, proving to the world that the Americans were not infallible, and a chance to serve under him was an honor. Out of the thousands that signed up in the first three months, six exceptional soldiers were handpicked by Renoa to become his Special Forces. These six soldiers possessed abilities that blurred the line between human and superhuman, though no one outside of the Special Forces witnessed them in action. Rumors spoke of Roland himself possessing superhuman capabilities, but he denied all accusations.

"You all may have talents no average human have, but facing the opposition we have with close to no Intel is suicide even for us," the general continued.

"Besides, we don't want the media gossiping about us starting up anything," Sinacide added.

McCloud grunted. "Fine, you've made your point, but what happens now? We're just gonna let this Shadow run around until he falls into the wrong hands?"

"We'll continue our search for him." Roland leaned as far back as his leather chair would allow, resting his boots on the edge of his desk. "In the meantime, you two are on stand-by."

"Where are the others?"

"Major Angelus and Lieutenant Raine are in Titan Town while Lieutenant Aniston and Marquest are providing security at the event here in Artemis."

"Marion and Alice…," Celeste's words trailed off as she began to wonder about her two troops.

Not only that. She had another premonition about their mission. Something big was about to go down, wasn't it?

Everything was going according to plan. He imagined the crowd going into a frenzy as the beginning of the race drew closer. He expected the police combing the area for suspicious activity. He predicted who would emerge triumphant in today's events, which was why he decided to bet it all on one team.

Yes, destiny would run its course today. He had a good feeling the gods would smile upon them.

Standing in the back of the crowd, he pushed his eyeglasses up the bridge of his nose and grinned, a gentle breeze rustling the long tail of his coat. His partner in black straightened his coat, the eyes hiding behind the black shades watching everyone and everything.

"Relax," the man in white warned him. "Looking nervous gives you away."

"I'm not nervous," he told him blankly. "The enemy is about."

"We can take 'em."

"_I_ can."

Wagging his finger at his partner, the blonde-haired male chuckled as the crowd's cheers reached a fever pitch. "Don't underestimate me. After all, we're partners now, Eclipse."

"Hmmph," Eclipse snorted, crossing his arms. "We're not partners."

"Hah, then go find your memories on your own."

Revealing a blank card between his fingertips, the blonde taunted Eclipse as he waved it in his face. "Oh, that's right. You can't because you have no idea where this place is."

That earned him a scowl. Eclipse hated to admit it, but he was right. As long as that card remained blank, he was at his mercy. Bound by chains of memory lost in the abyss of amnesia, Eclipse belonged to the one who controlled space and time just as he did. Able to chase away infernos with the snap of his fingers, he gave Eclipse a choice: Wander the world for all time without a name, or join him on a journey. He never told him where this journey would lead them, but it had to lead him to some clues, right?

Otherwise, he would never be rid of those chains.


	7. According to Plan

Silence.

Standing before them was a rarity for lower agents, but as a Superior, it occurred more than she desired. Eyes piercing through her calm façade, a strange sensation slithered up her spine.

The sound of liquid filling cups to the brim shattered the calm. She watched as the figure in the center raised her cup and took a sip. Crossing their legs, the silhouette in the flickering white light placed their cup on its saucer.

"You were unable to capture Shadow, I see." A female… quite young from the sound of her voice. Perhaps in her late teens.

"That's right," Agent Rouge confirmed.

The three individuals sitting beside the ringleader took their cups and took sips with her. Rouge winced, shaken by her boss' composed nature over her failure. It wasn't out of the ordinary, though. She never bear much emotions, always cool even in the heat of arguments. It was why she was appointed the position as Nexus' leader by the governments who funded their operations. No records of citizenship in any country on Earth One or Two, she's never shown herself to the public. A true shadow operative who held many aliases, but Rouge and the other Superiors knew her only as…

"Lady Superior," Rouge spoke once more tentatively, "Project Shadow exhibited more abilities than _he_ told us."

"So you say in your report. In the blink of an eye he's gone—without a trace."

A nod. "That's right, Ma'am."

"_He_ has been quite tight-lipped about the abilities Shadow possesses," commented the large, blue-eyed shadow to the right of Lady Superior.

The green and red-eyed silhouette to her left lifted his saucer and cup. "Such speed is impossible, even for such an advanced life-form."

A few sips of her tea and a curved crease formed her lips. "Not impossible. Quite on the contrary, but I don't believe he was alone on his escape."

"An accomplice?" uttered the blue-eyed form.

Lady Superior nodded. "Indeed, one who is able to use a technique developed by a clan of sorcerers."

"You mean _that_ technique? But I thought it required a specific catalyst?"

"The sorcerers are able to use it as a mere spell. The ability to control time and space…only the strongest of their clan can use it but once without exhausting themselves."

"If that's the case, my Lady," Rouge stepped forward, "then I'll find the sorcerer. If I get him, Shadow will be close behind."

"You cannot find him," a foreign voice's words carried throughout the dim room, bitter as the air circulating around them. "In order to find him, you must seek out his captor's light."

The veil of shadows wrapped around his slim form dissolved under the light above as he appeared beside Rouge. The sheath of his weapon in his hand, the dashing male in black ran his fingers through his slick white hair, regarding the woman beside him with a callous expression. "Only I possess the ability to seek out such a light as strong as his."

"Are you saying I'm too weak, Sion?" Rouge growled, though her tone remained apathetic.

"No such thing, Lady Rouge."

It was hard to believe him. Anger, joy, sorrow, anguish...Sion hid his emotions very well. Still, he held Superiors appointed above him in respects. Out of the other nineteen Superiors in their organization, he never called Rouge a 'Superior' but rather 'Lady' or 'Madame'. It often made Rouge wonder if he harbored any feelings for her.

Not likely. His 'condition' prevented him from exhibiting such things.

She scoffed, noticing the black inverted cross pendant dangling from his neck. "You think you can find light in the dark?"

"In the greatest light lies the greatest of darkness," he answered without hesitation.

She shook her head and turned to Lady Superior. "So, is he taking over now?"

Lady Superior chuckled as she finished her tea, "Perhaps we'll find better success if the two of you and your subordinates worked together."

Sion and Rouge working together on the same mission was a farfetched combination. They may have been in the same organization, but they were far too different. No, better yet, their methods were worlds apart from one another. Rouge didn't rely on such cutthroat tactics like Sion. She preferred stealth and spy games while Sion preferred 'No Mercy'. His two subordinates were no better, assassins handpicked by Sion himself.

No, working with Sion was a disaster waiting to happen.

"As you wish, my Lady." Regardless, Rouge accepted it and with a slight bow, she and Sion came back to the light as they exited the room. She stopped Sion just as he turned away from her, "Sion," she called out to him.

He stood in the narrow corridor, his back to her.

Rouge pointed to him, a scowl blemishing her beautiful visage. "Just so you know, I will be in charge, and you'll be doing things _my_ way. Understand?"

There was a disturbing aura lingering about, invading her senses as Sion's hollow sliver eyes focused on her. The words leaving his lips threw Rouge into a spiral of confusion and apprehension. Turning away from her once again, the fan-like tail of his coat blew a haunting breeze in her face. His words continued to echo in the corners of her mind.

_"But if you're too weak, I will tear you asunder with his light."_

She was going to have problems—she just knew it.

Sliding his large goggles over his head, Maurice watched as the sunlight reflected off the blank television screens towering over the arena. The crowd's cheers reminded him of the ocean waves crashing against the old shack he used to live in back on his home island. Yeah, watching the sun rising and falling over the horizon everyday calmed him. The fact that nothing would change settled in his mind back in those days unless he decided to let go of the past. To accept reality was the only way of severing the ties confining him to South Island.

_And so as he sat at the two graves, they came to him, reaching out to him with open arms._

_"They would have wanted you to move on, Maurice."_

His smile…Maurice's bottom lip quivered slightly.

_"You can't continue to live like this. Living in misery."_

_"Why not? There's nothing for me."_

_"There's the universe…"_

"Yo, you okay, big bro?"

Maurice spun around on the railing and greeted his younger brother, Drake, with a smile. That's all it took, wasn't it? A cheesy smile or thumbs-up to relieve everyone around him. No one wanted to see a loser—not anymore.

"I'm fine," he told him. Jumping off the rail of the balcony overseeing the arena, he stretched the elastic of his gloves as he slipped them on. "Almost time?"

The spiky-haired blonde nodded. "Yep, and the competition looks like real pushovers." He caught Maurice, wrapping his arm around his shoulder and shaking him. "It seems too easy. We're gonna wipe the floor with these losers!"

Maurice chuckled nervously, "Yeah. Guess we'll be the favorites today, huh?"

"Of course. No one likes losers, right?"

Yeah, no one. He wasn't a loser anymore; he was a winner.

He had to be for them.


	8. The King's Pawns

The fiery ball of orange descending in the distance reflected its light from his eyeglasses as he found his seat near the top of the open-top stadium. He draped the excess of his coat behind the bleacher seat, folded his legs, and clasped his hands on his thigh as the racers below began to form on the asphalt track. His partner found a seat next to him and leaned forward towards the action.

"Anxious, aren't we?" the boy with spectacles teased.

His partner snorted. "You've kept me in the dark about your intentions here this evening. What do you need me for?"

"In order to set up the game, you need all the pieces, Eclipse."

"Then am I simply a piece in your twisted game?"

The blue-eyed boy laughed, "Come on, dude. I'm not the villain of this story...I'm a piece as well."

Eclipse shifted his crimson gaze the boy's way. "Then what piece are you?"

"You can't tell already?"

His smile gave Eclipse an awkward feeling in the pit of his stomach. What was so important that he couldn't tell him? Setting the pieces to this game one-by-one, did he really consider himself a simple pawn or a player controlling Eclipse and other unsuspecting people's fates? By Eclipse's eyes, this man was a devil in white, leading sheep to an unknown slaughter. Eclipse wouldn't allow himself to fall into his trap, however. Somehow, he was going to break free of the chains binding him to the devil's will.

Somehow.

"Hi."

The sultry tone of a woman finding a seat beside the white devil caused Eclipse's ear to twitch. She wore a smile seemingly as deviant as the boy's. Her splendor didn't distract him at all, though his partner was a different story.

"Hello, hello." Mirroring her wily expression, he ran his finger through her right thigh, her yellow elastic shorts enticing him to remove them. "Today must be my lucky day, huh?"

"Depends on how this game ends."

The sweet sting of her slap brought his hand back. Rubbing it ever so, he licked his lips as he asked, "So you must be Faye? The stereotype of big, ugly bounty hunters _is_ wrong, huh?"

"You obviously looked hard enough if you found me," she replied with a sweet yet sarcastic tone. Her red jacket wrapped around the small of her back and wrists, she brushed strands of her short, lavender hair from her view. "How did you track me and the Bebop?"

"Never mind that, dearest." He kept his curious fingers away from Faye's inviting cleavage as he scooted back. "Now about my proposition…"

"Forty-five percent of the bounty."

"Blasphemy!" he hissed, eyes wide. "I need to make a profit from this too."

"Sounds fair seeing how much they're getting for this Project Shadow, _King_."

The _endearing_ tone she carried his nickname produced a few snickers, but he remained steady in his negotiations. "Thirty-five."

"Fifty."

"You really aren't making this easy, are you, Beautiful?"

"Well, you're on your own then, _King_."

Again with the mocking tone of his alias. The blood circulating in his fingers boiled as they stiffened, but he took a deep breath and maintained his calm. "Forty…," he spun a strand of her hair in his finger, "and I'll take you out when it's all done."

But his wooing had no effect on the expert. "Fifty. Take it or leave it, _King_."

His hand and head dropped in despair. Miss Valentine was quite the woman. Why was it that he always found the hard-asses? But he needed the perfect distraction, right? And Faye fitted the bill perfectly. Bounty hunters were hard to come by on the topside of the world, and the so-called _King_ found the underworld of society an unpleasant experience.

His last run-in with a certain someone was proof of that. Alas, he had no choice.

"Fine, fifty," he caved. "But! If you so as much slip up on the job, I'll take all of the profits. Have we an understanding, Miss Queen of Hearts?"

From his sleeves, he unveiled a Queen of Hearts card. Slipping it between his fingertips, he extended it to Miss Valentine.

And accepting his offer, she grinned as she slid the card out of his hand. "I never make mistakes on the job, _King_ of Fools."

"Please, call me Sethlans."

But Eclipse would only refer to him as the white devil. The sunlight reflecting from Seth's glasses hid the deviance in his eyes. He acquired another piece for his game.

It was about time to begin the match.


	9. Call Me

Maurice stretched the elastic on his gloves as much as possible as he secured his gear. Aside from his blue hoverboard, he needed to make sure the earpiece fitted around the rim of his ear wouldn't fall out when navigating tight turns. Fitted in high-tech lightweight armor in his innate color, the team leader of the Blitzkrieg Bombers scoped out the competition. His opponents came in all shapes and sizes, it seemed. From skinny punk racers with to heavyset riders trapped in futuristic armor, hopefully Maurice and his brothers wouldn't have too much trouble passing them up. His youngest brother, Blitz, ensured he tweaked their gear to optimal efficiency, but since these were the big leagues, would it be enough?

"Nervous?"

Maurice's mop-haired sibling placed his helmet on his head as he maneuvered around him on his oversized hoverboard.

"What makes you say that, Blitz?"

Blitz was never fooled by Maurice's grins and this case was no different. His sapphire eyes saw through the veil his oldest brother wrapped his heart around and saw anxiety. It didn't suit Maurice, but he had been carrying an unknown burden for a couple of days now. Alas, Blitz decided not to dive further into the matter. "Just concentrate, bro. I know the big leagues are a bit intimidating, but just do things like we do back home and we'll be the first to cross the finish line!"

"Sam's right," Serge added as he came to a stop on his slim hoverboard. Sparks crackled around the exhaust ports on the bottom of the hoverboard as well as his gloves. His golden shades glistened in the waning sunlight, as did his white smile. "We're the favorites in this race, ya know. Everyone's gonna be after us."

"Drake, you're not helping," Blitz hissed lowly.

"Nah, I like that fact about this race, but…" Maurice rubbed the back of his scalp, drawing another sigh. "I don't know. Just jittery, I guess."

Serge laughed, "C'mon, who isn't? I know I am."

"Me too," Blitz added, sitting on the edge of his board as it hovered about. "But it's because of that we're going to push ourselves further, right?"

"Yeah, and we've got your back. We may not be as fast as you, but we've got some tricks up our sleeves."

He knew _that_, but still…

"Racers! The race is about to begin! To your starting positions!"

The announcer's message over the loudspeaker didn't come as a surprise to the Blitzkrieg brothers. They ignored the echoing in the distance and scoped out ahead. From his wristwatch, a holographic representation of the course appeared before them.

He cleared his throat before giving them the last-minute briefing. "All right, this is it: The Artemis City Circuit. One-hundred miles around the city, many shortcuts to take, and even more dead-ends. Let's just make sure _we_ don't run smack dab into one of those dead-ends, okay?"

Blitz's sarcastic tone earned a look from both older brothers.

He hunched his shoulders and shook his head. "Yeah, anyway. Serge, your board—the Thunda-Bolt—is suited for pure speed like Maurice's, but you don't have much maneuverability, so I'll navigate you through the paths with the least turns. Of course, everyone will be gunning for you on the straight-aways."

"And I'll leave them in the dust," he added, smothering his snickers so that his little brother could continue.

"Maurice, your hoverboard—the Sonic Boom—is suited all-around like mine—the Red Storm, except for your technique. The Sonic Boom is specially tuned to use that ability of yours to its fullest extent, so use it whenever you can. For the both of us, many routes are available, so as the race progresses, I'll advise you on shortcuts and such."

Maurice nodded in agreement, but reminded him, "I can use that ability, ya know, but not too many times. It wears me out easily."

"Well, you haven't used it since we raced in South Island so it's understandable."

"One minute until the race begins!" the announcer exclaimed.

Maurice nodded. "So, you think I should get a nickname just like you guys now?"

Blitz snorted, rising to his feet and stretching out. "You gotta come up with one on your own."

"Heh, right. Anything is better than Maurice."

"Or Olgilvie," Serge added with a cheeky grin.

Olgilvie stuck his tongue out at his brother as the announcer said over the intercom, "Thirty seconds until the race begins! Racers! Take your positions!"

"May we also remind spectators that there will be a special musical performance after the race, so please stay tuned!"

The auras cluttering the cooling air failed to suppress _his_ from view. Through his nearly glazed eyes, the light of the Gods shined brighter than the sun descending in Artemis City's horizon. It lit a straight path to _him_ and his objective.

His cold hand tightened its grip around the sheath of his sword. He narrowed his gaze and uttered to the two standing in the shadows, "The light has made a path. Let's go."

The red-haired male tapped his sheath against his shoulder as he emerged from the shadows. "And the objective, Superior Sion?"

"I'm sure he's with him, Raijin," said the woman appearing beside Sion. She tipped her beret over her right eye and smiled a little. "The IGPF is here as well."

"As well as the Space Forces. Shadow is essential to us all. I never knew."

Sion began twirling his sheath with flicks of his wrist and snorted. "Shadow is but another piece within the Gods' grand scheme. Once we capture him, we'll have the advantage."

"And the King?" the woman inquired.

He stopped, bringing the scabbard back down to his waist. The king…he snorted again as the thought crossed his mind. A rather enticing path to take with him and perhaps would bring him one step closer to finding his other.

"Another chance, Ryoko. Another chance."

And into the light, Sion and his subordinates vanished into the crowds.

"10!"

Adjusting his goggles for the last time over his eyes, Maurice planted one foot firm on the asphalt and the other on the Sonic Boom.

"9!"

Blitz bent his knees, leaning slightly forward as his board belched flames from its rear exhaust ports.

"8!"

The golden sparks around Serge screeched, kissing his cheeks as they danced wildly around him. Standing erect, he grinned as the countdown continued.

"7!"

Sethlans rubbed his chin, as his grin grew more devious.

"6!"

Eclipse's eyes remained wary to Seth's smile, his eyes…his disturbing aura.

"5!"

Maneuvering silently through the crowds in the stadium, Sion and his subordinates drew closer to their objective.

"4!"

"So, came up with a name yet, bro?"

"3!"

Maurice turned his head to Serge, taking a moment to digest his question.

"2!"

"Heh!" Looking back ahead out to the distance at the sun falling into the horizon, he said, "Well, just call me…"

"1!"

"Call me…Sonic!"

"_Go_!"

And with a burst of energy erupting from his board, he blasted through the opposition with his two brothers.

The streaks of light disappearing into the shadows of the approaching night signaled that it was indeed Showtime. Rising to his feet with the two pieces in his game, the king's words summed everything up well.

"_Game on."_


	10. Dance, Puppets, Dance

"They're off and already I can't believe my eyes! The Blitzkrieg Bombers have left the competition in the dust with their incredible take-off and the crowd is on their feet! Still, as impressive as their take-off was, will they be able to keep their lead?"

Resting his chin on his fist as he reclined in his office chair, Jin Phoebus watched the live feed of the race in Artemis City on his laptop. He paid particular attention to the Blitzkriegs' performance, noticing the instant the oldest Blitzkrieg used _it_. He had doubts that the broadcaster even noticed, but nothing escaped Jin's eyes.

Suddenly, light invaded his domain, a slim silhouette eclipsing the light of the corridor a second later. Jin's eye scanned the figure and beckoned it with his finger. It stepped out of the threshold and approached him. The light faded as the door closed and Jin smiled.

"My, this is certainly a surprise," he chuckled as he leaned forward and rolled his chair to his desk. Again, he placed his chin on his palm, propping his elbow on his desk. "How long has it been since I've seen your people?"

Letting down the hood from her cloak, the woman greeted Jin with the usual stonewalled expression he remembered her kind wearing long ago. "Jin-sama," she spoke, "it's an honor to meet you, face-to-face."

Extending his delicate hand towards her, his white smile shined brilliantly in the obscurity. "The pleasure is all mine. So tell me, what has happened since my absence?"

Sonic led his brothers as he navigated the sharp chicanes with relative ease. The maneuverability of Serge's board was put to the test though. Because of the Thunda-Bolt's elongated design, it couldn't manage tight turns. Serge found a way through its fatal flaws, nonetheless, going straight through the chicanes, leaping over off-track obstacles without difficulty.

He leaned his body and board to the left, finding his place beside Sonic back on the track. "It's awesome, isn't it?"

"What is?" he wondered.

"Heheheh, the scenery, ya know? Watching hundreds of city lights flash by you every second! Moving faster than time itself! It's a rush like no other!"

Sonic never truly took notice of his surroundings when in a race, did he? He allowed his eyes to linger from his course for a moment to take it all in. All of a sudden, a tremendous amount of pressure pushed his heart to the back of his rib cage.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. His heartbeat increased, his eyes widened, and the sensation he felt before the race froze his body. It was the adrenaline—no, this was something far more powerful than adrenaline.

"Bro, look out!"

Blitz's warning snapped him out of his reverie. The force released its grip on him and he held his board tight as he somersaulted over the railings. Twisting mid-air, he landed on the metal rails sideways and began grinding down the hill. Quick with reflexes, he spun to the next set of rails with ease, Blitz following close behind.

"This alternate route will take us around to the highway," Blitz told him as they navigated the sharp left turn on the rail.

"Serge went with the competition?" Maurice wondered, wiping the condensation from the front of his goggles.

Blitz nodded. "Yep. He's a big boy. He can handle it."

Sonic laughed as they jumped off the rails and sped up the hill towards the highway entrance. "Are these roads closed for the race?"

Blitz mirrored his grin, leaning forward and weaving through traffic cones in rhythm with Sonic. "Of course not."

"Heh, a challenge eh?"

Over the blaring of passing car horns, engines roared as they rushed over Sonic and Blitz's head. "An airship?" Blitz muttered.

The twin-machine gun armed airship whipped its red tail around and faced the two racers, its thrusters maintaining high speeds in reverse. They saw a slim silhouette operating the golden cockpit but couldn't depict it as man or woman.

Their suspicions were put to rest nevertheless, as a voice boomed over the loudspeaker, "Taking shortcuts?" it was a female. "I suppose I should expect that from you."

"Anything it takes to win, lady!" Blitz yelled, splitting his concentration between the airship and steering through the busy traffic. He jumped over a flying car, pushing himself off the roof with his free hand while upside-down. He twisted about in the air, taking Sonic's hand and launching him to the far right side where he landed on the rails. "You trying to tell us we're breaking the rules?"

Sonic watched Blitz ride the rails on the left side and laughed before looking up at the ship. "Like our moves?"

He performed a quick side-roll back onto a free lane and leaned forward as a rush of wind pushed him forward. "Let's go, Blitz!"

_**Boom**_

"Whoa!" The explosion caught him by surprise, but he managed to side-roll to the right, riding the metal rail through the billowing smoke. He covered his mouth until he emerged from the smolder, and then looked up at the ship stalking him. "What's your deal?" he exclaimed, lowering his hand from his mouth.

"You're coming with me!" the woman shouted over the loudspeaker, her ship's right arm loading another potent missile into its chamber. "I'd like to bring you back alive, so don't try anything stupid."

"Did I do something wrong?"

The woman inside—Faye Valentine—snorted, pulling the rods controlling her ship, the Red Tail, far back. "No point in playing innocent," she mocked as her ship elevated higher over the blaring traffic. The monitor in the center of her control panel displayed an electronic copy of the warrant for the suspect's arrest. "You may have changed your looks, but you're no doubt the one I've been looking for."

Sonic looked over his shoulder for Blitz, but he was nowhere in sight. He remembered Blitz was on the main highway, and Sonic was on the rails leading to a highway exit. _'He's still on the highway,'_ Sonic scowled, tightening his fists and jumping off the rails to speed down the hill. The Red Tail whipped itself around and began pursuit. Over the loud honks of oncoming traffic, Sonic heard the cocking of a machine gun. The ship was ready to fire!

"I really hate chases," Faye sighed, her left thumb applying a bit of pressure to the red button on the left rod.

Sonic made a sharp left at the four-way intersection off the highway exit, speeding through a narrow opening between two semi-trucks. Faye cursed under her breath, following her prey close as her ship's wings made quick adjustments to carry her to the left. The swell of her engines' propulsion, threw the semis and other cars far back. "Now I'm getting pissed, kid!" she roared as her ship launched high into the skies in the blink of an eye.

The Red Tail's speed was impressive. Sonic's board was designed to outrun other boards, not airships. He dared to say that he met his match with this woman, but when he checked his rear, he saw she was no longer pursuing him.

"Wow, that's it?" he asked himself.

Just as he wiped the sweat from his forehead…

"You aren't getting away from me!"

Her ship came from out of nowhere in front of him! The powerful squall from her ship's engines blew Sonic off his board. Landing on his feet, he slid to a stop in front of an overturned vehicle. "Man! You just don't give up!" he yelled over the howling of the Red Tail.

"With so much money on your head, I wouldn't think of it," Faye countered, smiling as she targeted her bounty with her machine guns. "Now, what will it be, Project Shadow?"

Sonic's eyes widened.

"_What did you call me?"_


	11. The False Reward

"Shadow?" Maurice echoed softly, looking around the congested intersection to see if there was anyone else the woman was talking about. Regrettably, he was the only one standing in the center, his body frozen as he stared down the long barrel of the Red Tail's gun. "My name's not Shadow. It's Maurice."

His innocent expression failed to win Faye over, however. She continued to use the electronic copy of the bounty picture on the cockpit monitor as reference, comparing Shadow and Sonic's features. "I have to admit, you were able to disguise yourself from the IGPF, but changing appearances is a common thing amongst bounties."

Red eyes compared to jade. Jet-black, red-streaked hair compared to spiky blue. Faye dealt with many bounty heads that masqueraded as entirely different people. They would even go so far as to make sex changes, much to her disgust. In the end, everything would add up and they could never change their DNA. Strands of hair, skin flakes, everything that contained DNA led to the truth. They may have not gotten so far with Shadow in this case, but their facial features were identical.

But truth was that she _did_ make a mistake. It was merely a coincidence, and Maurice continued to plea innocent. "I didn't change my appearance!" he hollered. "I'm me! You've got the wrong guy!"

Still, she didn't buy it. The cocking of her ship's gun arms proved it. "R-r-right. Let's get this over with."

"All right." Maurice bowed his head as he growled under his breath. "If you won't listen to me, then there's one thing for me to do."

Faye furrowed an eyebrow, the long pause in their pointless conversation irritating her more. Through the larger, primary cockpit monitor in front of her, she saw Sonic shaking. Maybe the futility of resisting sunk into that thick skull of his. She began to breathe a sigh of relief. Bringing Shadow in head would have only earned her half, and she was splitting half of the bounty with that man Sethlans in the first place, not to mention her other greedy companions.

"Run away!"

Or maybe not.

"Tcch, you just don't give up, huh?" she scoffed, reviving her engines with several revs.

Maurice got a running start before hopping on his malfunctioning hoverboard. He jumped over several cars blocking his escaping route, grabbing as much hang-time as he could manage before landing on open asphalt. If he could get into contact with Blitz and find out about more shortcuts, the race wasn't all los--

"You're pretty dense, kid!" It was Faye Valentine yet again denying his getaway as she came in from the sky. "You think you can outrun my ship?" she hissed over the loudspeaker.

Sonic groaned. _'Man, what can I do? There's no way I can take this thing on. I'm only human.'_

And humans didn't stand a chance in hell against fighter ships without proper artillery right?

"_Your board, the Sonic Boom, taps into your special ability…"_

Blitz's earlier explanation of his hoverboard resonated in the back of his mind. He looked down, watching his busted board's gears catch fire as they whirred as fast as they could. _'But it's messed up right now.' _He continued to mull._ 'So, that eliminates that option.'_

He heard the ship's guns lock and load and he was staring down its barrel once again.

He swallowed the large lump lodged in his throat and chuckled nervously. "Darn. This definitely isn't good."

"Tcch, troublesome humans."

Behind him! Faye glanced over Sonic's shoulders but it was too late! A tornado of barbed chains slithered their way around the Red Tail's gun arms. The spiked serpents made their point as their sharp ends lodged themselves inside the barrels.

With a dark scowl on his countenance, the charmer approached them, just in time no less as far as Sonic was concerned. "Let's make this quick, huh?"

"Lieutenant Marquest, we've got a situation at the intersection of Millicent and Grace Street, Sector Victor Uniform Three."

The seventeen-year old LT pressed his finger against the headset and spoke quietly whilst standing near the rails of the racetrack. "Code?"

"Code Alpha Delta Bravo Zulu, sir," replied the soldier over the radio.

Marquest snorted and dismissed the man's code. "Bah, handle it. We don't have time for--"

"Sir, one of the culprits has been identified as Target Sierra."

Target Sierra. That was…

"What?" he shouted, grabbing nearby spectators attention. "Are you absolutely certain its Target Sierra?"

"Everything matches up, sir. Orders?"

"Stand-by." He depressed the button on the headset and looked to her. "Ace?"

She was silent one, her eyes of orange speaking volumes to Marquest. Outranking him by one year, she preferred standing behind him in the chain of command in the IGPF. Marquest was more outspoken anyway while her actions took place of her words. She gave him only a nod and made a beeline for the exit with a group of Black Berets in her shadows.

Marquest waited until she was out of sight before opening the line up again. "Delta Team, stand-by until Lieutenant Aniston arrives. I repeat: Don't make a move until the LT arrives. Understood?"

"Copy, sir. Delta Team, over and out."

He cut the transmission and raised his head back towards the screen in the center of the racetrack displaying all of the action. He didn't notice the current situation on any of the split-screens, which was a good thing. The public didn't need to know about their operations. It'd only cause unnecessary commotion, and Marquest was sure General Renoa had more than a handful of 'crap' to deal with on his desk back at headquarters.

"Wow, you've got some leadership skills there, kid."

The squad of Black Berets standing behind the LT whipped around and directed him to the young man sitting on top of the rails over the back entrance to the concession area. Marquest crossed his arms over his armor-plated chest and gave him a sour look. "How long have you been sitting up there?"

The blonde-haired male hunched his shoulders. "Long enough to know my girl is getting your man…if you catch my drift?"

Marquest grunted. "Bounty hunters?" he guessed before shaking his head. "You guys are nothing but hounds, but hounds on a fool's errand! You can't beat him. He's far too dangerous. The IGPF never condoned this bounty in the first place!"

"But the Space Forces did," the man in white countered, a playful tone in his voice as he jumped down and approached Marquest. "They are the ones in charge of the judicial affairs here on Earth 2. Even you should know that, kiddo. Don't ya do your homework?"

"Shut up!" Marquest shot back. This man's attitude struck his nerves like crazy. "See if I care if your girlfriend is killed once Shadow gets to her."

"Your girlfriend won't do any better the way I see it. Not even Talon and Ghost stood a chance."

He knew about Captain Sinacide and First Lieutenant McCloud? Not to mention he called Ace his girlfriend. Marquest scowled at the snickers amongst the Black Berets, willing away the flush of red in his cheeks. "That's classified information you're speaking freely about. One more word and I'll place you under arrest!"

"C'mon then, kid." A mocking clap of his hands and he broke the final straw in Marion Marquest, but the grin on his face showed he didn't give a damn. "Make my day. Just a few more minutes until everything is set."

"Sir!" a Black Beret intervened with a hand on the rather petite LT's shoulder.

Marquest slapped his hand away and smirked. "Don't worry, I got this."

He tossed his black coat aside and handed his beret off to one of his subordinates. "I'll humiliate this worthless bounty hunter in front of this audience without breaking a sweat."

"Heh." The man's grin grew as Marquest stepped forward.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with." He pointed to himself, his domineering voice turning the crowd's attention to the confrontation. "Second Lieutenant Marion Marquest of the IGPF's Special Forces unit, codename: Raid!"

And the arrogant man in glasses loosened the buttons on his trench coat as he motioned for Raid with a finger. "Name's Sethlans King," he said.

His wink added the final dose of venom. "But just call me Daddy."

Marion could bear it no longer! He rushed into the heat of combat, taking a mighty leap into the air and descending upon his foe with a mighty fist of steel. "Cocky son of a _bitch_!"

"Whoo! I'm burning up!"

But for Sethlans, it was all apart of the plan.

**IGPF's Raid Challenges the Swaggering Sethlans!**


	12. Victory in the Vic Viper

**In a burst of rage, IGPF's Raid attacks the crafty Sethlans!**

"It's Showtime, Vic Viper!"

The threshold between man and machine no longer existed in this battle as Sethlans witnessed human technology take a giant leap forward. Encased in his own special space-age metal armor, Marion Marquest transformed into a small, high-speed fighter ship! Jets roaring over the clamor of the startled crowds, the Vic Viper launched itself into the night sky. Its silver aircraft's speed was indeed remarkable, able to leave the stadium and fly back in a matter of seconds.

It deserved a handclap, and Sethlans gave it that. As if mocking him still, Seth came to the edge of the stands, applauding the boy's spectacle. Unaware of his intentions, the audience behind him slowly followed in suit, as did the Black Berets.

Through the green-tinted eyes of the armor's artificial intelligence, Gradius, Marion Marquest saw the sardonic look on his target's face. "You're still smiling, you bastard?" he hissed over the internal loudspeaker.

Seth's grin widened. "It's just so cute, ya know? Kids and their little gadgets."

"Don't underestimate me!"

King whipped the tail of his coat around, unsheathed his sword, and spun it around his hands with flicks of his wrists, resting it on his shoulder all in a few, quick motions. "C'mon," he challenged. "Entertain me for a bit, kid."

"You're annoying!"

Raid unleashed the opening barrage of attacks in the form of high-powered lasers. The bystanders and King moved out of harm's way in an instant, Sethlans dashing around the rim of the stands as the Vic Viper kept its slender nose focused on him. Another blast and Seth jumped, twisting his body in the direction of the stairs behind him as he made his landing. The aircraft followed King up the stairs, motivating him to continue running with its threatening engine roars.

"Time to show me what you've got, Bounty Hunter!" Raid yelled as he fired a stream of continuous blue lasers.

Slicing through the asphalt all the way to the top of the stands, Sethlans needed to think fast! He jumped onto the railings and displayed perfect equilibrium as he hopped over the laser, followed by the next four. "Hahaha, crazy, kid! My turn!"

He vanished in an instant! "What's going on?" Raid gasped. "Track him!"

"Tracking heat signature…" Gradius scanned the area for Sethlans unique heat signature, searching through the stands, outside of the stadium, inside the—

"Warning! Enemy attack imminent!"

"Ha!" Raid snapped his arms, legs, and head out of the armored compartment, spun around in mid-air, and met King's silver blade with his own sliding out of his wrists. Favoring his mentor's style of hidden weaponry, Marquest took it a step beyond it by incorporating it into the Vic Viper's design along with many other features. The adolescent Special Forces member mirrored Seth's smile. "You won't take me down that easily!"

Seth chuckled, wrapping both gloved hands around the hilt of his sword. "Yeah?"

"The Vic Viper is the latest in aero-space weaponry. It's one-of-a-kind, too."

"Not yet mass-produced, huh?"

Both of the combatants flew away from one another, keeping their stances steady, wary of each other's movements. "The IGPF is the most advanced organization today," Raid bragged. "Not even the Space Forces with their cybernetics can come close to our sophisticated technology."

"Heh, nice to know." Sethlans sheathed his sword and held his hands out. "But I'm wondering if the laws of nature still apply to that armor of yours."

Raid grunted quizzically.

King's grin grew more sinister. "Let's see if the way of the world has any effect on the Victoria!" he cackled as he bolted towards Marquest.

"It's called Vic Viper!" He pointed arrogantly at his adversary as he drew closer. The metal around his extended arm molded itself like slime, then hardening in the form of a lengthy twin-barreled cannon. "And it's the ultimate armor!"

"I beg to disagree."

Sethlans! He was…how did he? He was standing next to him!

His hand firm on Raid's spiked shoulder, he whispered in the boy's amplified ear, "But if you don't agree on my disagreement, then watch this, kid."

He broke away from Raid in a spin, pointing to him in the same conceited manner Raid did moments ago. It was there, glowing bright orange on Raid's shoulder. Seth smirked. "Living proof right there, kid. Your armor is far from indestructible. Quite the contrary, my flames ate away at it pretty damn quick!"

Raid couldn't believe it! His shoulder…a part of the wing…it was melting! "What are you?" he shuddered. "Come to think of it…you don't have any anti-gravity boots. How are you doing this?"

Sethlans shrugged, feigning ignorance and mocking him further. Marion knew he was doing this somehow, but he just didn't know how. Perhaps the gloves he was wearing triggered heat? No, they were ordinary white gloves made from cloth. That brought another question. If there were heat coming from his hands, the cloth on his gloves would have been burnt to a crisp. So what was it? If Raid didn't know any better, Sethlans King resembled the traits of a…

"Impossible," Raid mumbled under his breath, shooting King a suspicious look. King's smirk…he knew what was thinking, didn't he? He knew that the thought crossed his mind, didn't he? Marquest shook his head of the notion. "No, that's not possible!" he exclaimed, aiming his cannon arm at his foe. "The Revolution two years ago…your kind shouldn't be around anymore! You can't be one of them!"

Seth laughed at his disbelief, hunching his shoulders once more. "Then believe what you wanna believe, kid, but let's just wrap this up. I'm a busy man."

"Don't act like you've beaten me, Sorcerer!"

"Heh."

"You and that damned smirk of yours! You piss me off!"

Seth puckered his lips slightly and made a kissing noise.

Raid yelled, "Argh! You little sh--"

"Hey! You kiss your girlfriend with that mouth?" He continued to make kissing sounds, clapping and beckoning him to come at him. "C'mon, kid. Take out the stress of those growing hormones out on me."

**Sethlans stares down the barrel of Raid's cannon!**

Taking a step forward out of the cheering crowds, the caped figure watched Sethlans King and Marion Marquest closely.

The woman flicked strands of her hair, tucking it behind her ear before sighing. "To think that you haven't changed then," she uttered, scowling as she prepared to make her move.

**Next Time: Raid and Sethlans' conclusion…**

_A/N: The Vic Viper's incorporation into the story is a tribute to the awesome game series, Gradius. Along with the animes in this story, I own no rights to it. :_


	13. Scars of Time

_Sethlans King…_

"_The incomparable bounty hunter is revealed to be a sorcerer—an extinct race! Who is this smug hunter and what game is he hoping to achieve victory in?"_

**Scars of Time**

**Sethlans King and Raid prepare for their final assault…**

"Well, gotta admit, kid, it's been fun, but I've gotta put an end to this."

This man—sorcerer—named Sethlans was impossible. Overconfident and yet his powers spoke in volumes. Foolish but he was able to best Marion Marquest in front of thousands of people. Everyone in the solar system that tuned into the games witnessed their battle, and it was there.

The gap in skill.

Raid refused to see it. No, it was a lie to him. He refused to believe his hard work was for naught! There was no way this sorcerer had him beat! Sethlans was staring down the barrel of _his_ cannon! In an instant, he would be dust. The Vic Viper's special weapon, Stardust Breaker, was capable of shooting down a zip-craft, so not even Sethlans King could survive it.

So why did sweat continue to pour down Raid's forehead? King's grin sent shivers down his spine. He was a devil. He had to be! The sorcerer race vanished after the Revolution. The war against the sorcerer race ended in the human's victory—that was what they died for.

That's what Marion's family died for—for the sake of the human race—right?

And yet it was all in vain. This demon stood in front of him, grinning, unaware of the sacrifices made to rid of beings like him!

"You're no sorcerer…," the boy mumbled under his breath.

And Seth's grin grew slyer. "Huh? What's that, kid?"

"_I said you're a devil_!" he shouted from the top of his lungs, the barrel of his cannon brimming with white energy. "And now I'll be rid of you for good, devil!"

"Heh, what does a guy have to do to prove that he's the protagonist in this story?"

_**Slash!**_

A split second stretched into a moment of opportunity for the "devil". He stood behind his foe, his sword drenched in both blood and oil. The crowd took in a deep breath, unable to decipher anything but the blood and oil showering the arena below.

Raid shuddered, his vision obscured with red, as it grew darker.

"No," he whispered, as the world around him grew black. "This…is…impossible…"

Time screeched to a halt as Chaos Control made its presence known. To those who had the ability to create it, it felt like another dimension. Everything frozen around the user, they were free to move about for as long as they could sustain it. Sethlans was a powerful sorcerer, but not even he could maintain Chaos Control for more than a minute. He wasted no time in grabbing Raid out of the air, carrying him in his arm as he descended into the stands where they met. He placed him carefully on the ground, backing away as he sheathed his sword.

"You've got potential, kid," he complimented, a chuckle escaping him as he turned away. "It's a good thing it was the arm of the Vic Viper I severed and not your own, otherwise, I would have felt bad."

Time crawled towards a second. The spell was beginning to wear off.

"Heh, maybe next time we meet you'll be a lot stronger," he continued, dusting his coat's collar. He looked over his shoulder at Marquest. The boy seemed tranquil, even after suffering such an attack. However, perhaps it was absence of time that resulted in his oblivious expression.

Either way, King no longer cared. If he didn't hurry, his efforts would be for nothing.

One last wave, out of respect. "Adios, Raid."

"You're repeating history, I see."

Sethlans stopped when he heard the severe tone in the woman's voice. Still, he couldn't help but laugh. "So I am."

"You cut that boy down and leave…just as you left me."

Strands of her blonde hair flowing in the gentle wind, the woman's left eye of pure gold shined in the pale moonlight, her scowl reminding Sethlans of a woman he used to call his lover.

Maybe she was _that_ woman.

"Are you going to leave me here in the darkness again, Vulcan?" she shouted, her golden eye emitting a flash of light, catching King off-guard.

A rush of wind whooshed past him, forcing him back a few steps. He turned to face the scorned woman, his confidence failing to dissolve. "Again, you say?" he queried, raising an eyebrow as he took a step forward towards an uneasy past. "I never plunged you into the darkness, Maelstrom."

The sorceress scoffed, crossing her arms as time halted once more. "I may be able to stop time, but I can never stop the hurt of what you did to me, Vulcan," she hissed.

"I suppose there are some wounds time can never heal, huh?"

Raising his right arm, a swirl of searing flames, ate away at his coat, revealing blood red scars across his skinny arms. The glasses vanished, as did the façade and personality known as Sethlans King.

The smile he always wore melted into a surly frown. His true self was exposed. The scars of a haunting past etched into his mind, the King faced what remained of his former existence with arms wide open as time crept into seconds once more.

His smile resurfaced, the flames scorching his soul burning the line between fantasy and actuality as he charged through the barriers of time.

"And time begins yet again, Queen."

**Now revealed as the King of Sorcery, Vulcan faces Maelstrom!**


	14. It's Called Destiny

_Maelstrom and Vulcan_

"_Burdened by a hurtful past, the two former lovers meet once again to heal the wounds not even time can mend…"_

_**It's Called Destiny**_

Flames of pure magic wrap around the sorceress as Vulcan lunges at her with his burning fist. Stopping within inches of her face, Vulcan's eyes widen in utter surprise.

His attack is blocked! He didn't realize it, but an invisible wall of thin ice stood between him and his Queen. The flames continue to dance around her, but she is unmoved. The flames refuse to touch her, as if afraid of the repercussions—a reflection of their master's troubled soul perhaps?

He jumps back, his feet skidding to a halt as he bends slightly forward. He draws a shuddered breath, hints of chuckles mixed into his shivers. "I blasted through those walls of ice like they were nothing, but that last one you've got…"

"Your flames burn too dim to scorch me, Vulcan," she replies in a tone colder than the air piercing the King's skin.

"But Fire magic overcomes Ice magic, so what gives?"

A snarl escapes her. "You still have no idea."

Vulcan refuses to blink, but even so, she escapes his sights! Vulcan gasps, his confidence lost in a swirling torrent of fear and anxiety. There is pressure against his Adam's apple, enough to water his eyes.

"No way," he rasps.

Maelstrom has bested the sorcerer once again, displaying speed unlike anything he has witnessed in his time. She presses the icy blade against his gullet, pulling herself close to him as she wraps her free arm against his stomach.

No, this wasn't speed. There was no way she was _this_ quick. There was only one explanation for this.

"Chaos Control," he surmises.

"You aren't worthy of being King with such poor sorcery," Maelstrom hisses, squeezing against Vulcan's abs. His forced exhale followed, and she continues, "You should know that the affinities of the elements don't matter if the skill between the sorcerers are years apart."

"You saying I'm rusty?" Vulcan teases hoarsely, gasping for air a second later when Maelstrom squeezes his stomach again.

"Has becoming the God's Emissary made you weak? You rely on that sword so much that you've forgotten your magic."

Vulcan grunts with what little breath he is allowed.

"It's been three years. If you had improved your skills as a sorcerer, you would have learned that Chaos Control isn't just slowing or stopping time. Teleportation is another method of Chaos Control we sorcerers and the Brotherhood learned."

Vulcan never could surpass Maelstrom whenever it came to knowledge on magic, and now was no different. Bound to her, he realizes just how little he has come. As strong as he is, Maelstrom still tugs at his chains.

Those chains…just when he thought he was free from their grip.

"So what now, Maelstrom?" Vulcan asks in a shallow exhale of breath. "You gonna kill me?"

Maelstrom grunts. "What're you planning? Revealing our race yet again? There's a reason I allowed the Revolution to succeed, you know?"

"Some things are better left out in the open, ya know?"

"You had something to do with that incident the other day with the IGPF, didn't you?"

Vulcan snickers, ignoring the pleas from his lungs for air. "You figured it out? Jin wants Shadow too?"

"That's who that boy with you was? Don't worry, I'm not concerned with him and neither is Jin."

"Then what? What the hell do you want from me?"

After what seemed a lifetime, Maelstrom releases Vulcan and pushes him onto the ground. The frozen blade shatters as she enfolds herself in her snow-white cape once more. Her lips part as she prepares to speak, but the world around them shakes violently, time restored. She steps aside and grabs the arm holding a sword. Whether the weapon was intended to kill her or not was a mystery. She examines the jeweled blade, as she utters, "Even in Chaos Control, I couldn't see you. Your aura however is plain as day."

She swings the arm up and pushes the man back with a slight tap on his sternum. The man dressed in silver regards her with a rather empty glare, searing through the permafrost encasing Maelstrom's heart.

"I can tell you and Vulcan know each other. However, I must warn you that his life belongs to me."

"The Queen of Sorcery, Lady Maelstrom," the man says as he regains his balance. His gloved hand maintains its tight grip around the hilt of the blade as he sheathes it. "We finally meet."

"You know my name? Then you aren't just an average human."

Maelstrom stares down the new foe, searching for a window to his soul through his eyes. She finds the windows are sealed shut…no, they are wide open but even so, she finds nothing inside. It is empty, nothing but darkness is found. She scowls and faces him fully, perplexed by his lack of emotions—lack of a soul. "You're nothing but a body with a simple but strong aura. People like you exist?" she asks the silver-haired swordsmen.

He runs a hand through his slicked hair and answers, "To refer to me as a person is incorrect. I am merely a tool—an abandoned tool—that defies the fate forced upon itself."

"Textbook answer," Maelstrom jokes, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Do you have a name?"

"Lieutenant!"

Maelstrom overhears the Black Berets behind her as they rush to their commanding officers' side.

"Is his arm…?"

"No, it's just the Vic Viper's armored arm that's been severed."

"There's the bounty hunter right there."

"We'll bring him in as well for this."

Maelstrom turns to oppose them, but she is beat to the punch as the sound of blades cutting through skin and wails drown out the announcers over the loudspeakers. The crowd near them gasps as the Berets fall into their pools of blood, the two culprits looming over their bodies. There is one female and the other a red-haired male, both sharing similar frowns towards Maelstrom as she faces them.

"Heh, it's a regular reunion."

Vulcan jumps to his feet, standing between the three, a weary grin across his face as always. Maelstrom scoffs, opening her mouth to question his quick recovery, but he cuts her off, "No way I'd be down and out just when all of the party guests are here, right?"

"You're kidding?" she barks. "You can't tell me that you--"

"It's called destiny."

Once again, the puppet master takes control of the loose strings, tugging ever so slightly as the act begins.

He smiles, looking up at the stars above as screams fill the night air. "Now, let's dance, puppets."

**Surrounded, Vulcan takes control once more!**

A/N: _Sorry for the sudden change in tense for this chapter. I don't know if this works for me or not. I'll update and change the chapter if people think this form of tense sucks._


	15. Method of Chaos

_Sion_

"_A man who carries no soul, he searches for answers, one battle at a time."_

**Method of Chaos…**

**The conclusion of Vulcan's struggle, he takes control of the battle…**

The overflowing confidence and swagger that once belonged to Sethlans King returns in Vulcan as he stands between Maelstrom and Sion—two individuals that find themselves bound to the King of Sorcery. They feel him tugging at their strings as he proceeds with his performance.

Maelstrom steps forward with a vicious scowl. "Vulcan! It's time you've stopped playing around and tell me what is that you're planning!"

Vulcan merely shrugs, refusing to do away with his playful grin. "C'mon, you'd think I'd spoil the plot of this story so early, babe? Give me more credit than that."

A streak of light takes Maelstrom by surprise as it lashes out at Vulcan. Out of the burst of light, she sees the mysterious man in silver pushing against Vulcan's drawn sword with his own. Vulcan's smile remains while the silver-haired male bores a menacing yet apathetic glare into the sorcerer's skull as he gains the shaky momentum.

"That man's speed is unreal…," the Queen shudders quietly as she watches the two exchange swings of their swords. "I'm shocked that Vulcan noticed it."

Maelstrom shakes her head and laughs. "Of course. He didn't use Chaos Control, so Vulcan could detect it."

"There's more to it than that, Queen Maelstrom."

Maelstrom pauses, scanning the corners of her eyes. She snorts. "Is that so, you two?"

The woman in black named Ryoko explains as Vulcan and Sion continue their sword dance in the hysterical crowds. "It's true that Superior Sion is unable to utilize Chaos Control unlike your race, but he more than makes up for it with his ability of short burst speed tactics."

"And?"

"You underestimate King Vulcan's abilities far too much, Queen."

Whipping her body around to the two individuals, Maelstrom's scowl darkens. "Are you saying that Vulcan surpasses me?" she hisses, snapping her head back indignantly. "Don't think such nonsense!"

Ryoko welcomes Maelstrom's arrogance with a sly grin as she fiddles with her beret. "It's true. You may be the best at magic; however magic isn't the only form of combat."

The redhead male beside Ryoko looks past Maelstrom towards the on-going battle between Sion and Vulcan. Sion rushes at Vulcan at a breakneck speed with a devastating stab attack, throwing Vulcan off the stands. The tremendous force of the attack blows away the bystanders, though Sion seems to care less.

A simple swipe of his sword and he slides it back into its sheath. 

Vulcan flips himself in mid-air and lands on the ground on all fours. Spitting out blood, the sorcerer chuckles and leaps back into the stands at his rival.

Maelstrom watches, eyes wide to Vulcan's tenacity, even as his blood splatters in his wake he fights Sion with such glee. She doesn't understand. "Why? Why is Vulcan…?"

"King Vulcan and Sion even as men with opposing objectives," Ryoko speaks up, knocking Maelstrom out of her slight stupor, "they are still comrades, though Superior Sion refuses to admit it."

They clash yet again, the sparks of grinding steel burning their skins.

"Superior Sion seeks truth from King Vulcan."

Vulcan spins on his heel, his sword extended. Sion leaps far back onto a suspended rail higher in the stands. Vulcan grins and takes to the sky in pursuit.

"Battle by battle, he learns more."

Screaming out in agony, Vulcan falls back in front of Maelstrom, a rain of blood falling before the Queen. Maelstrom's eyes refuse to close still. Her instincts force her to absorb every moment. Even so, seeing Vulcan rest in his own pool of blood…

"But even so..."

Sion appears, sheathing his bloody sword once more as he approaches Vulcan's body. His expression remains cold, even after such intense seconds of combat. Fifteen seconds Maelstrom recalled. Vulcan was defeated in a mere fifteen seconds.

"Superior Sion is left with even more questions."

He stops, looming over the smiling sorcerer. "On your feet, King. Do you intend to mock me by not displaying your full strength?"

Maelstrom gasps. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Her suspicions are put to rest as Vulcan leaps to his feet, laughing as if nothing happened! Bloody wounds across his chest and still he jests. She doesn't understand—not at all.

This isn't the Vulcan she knew long ago.

"You've gotten stronger, Sion," Vulcan admits as he picks his sword off the ground and rests it on his shoulder. Turning to Sion, he chuckles, "Hakumei feeds off your hatred, keeping you sane."

Sion averts the subject of his mysterious weapon, instead asking, "Where is Project Shadow?"

Vulcan winks. "Why would you wanna know? You plan on cheating on me?" he teases.

"I won't ask a third time."

Once again, Maelstrom refuses to blink but is taken by surprise as Sion vanishes and reappears beside Vulcan, the bloody blade of Hakumei pressed against the King's Adam 's apple. He asks again, venom added in his apathetic voice, "Where is Project Shadow?"

Vulcan remains unmoved by Sion's speed and tactics. He grew used to Sion's impatient demeanor, always demanding answers and cutting down those that weren't fast in responses. Vulcan knew Sion wouldn't slit his throat, however. He did have the answers he needed, after all.

The strings and shackles of the puppet weighed heavy on Sion.

"You really wanna kill me here, Sion?" Vulcan runs a finger from the tip of the blade down slowly. "In a couple of minutes, the Space Forces are gonna respond to this whole escapade."

"Their objective is Project Shadow as well. However, my organization wishes to see that Shadow is acquired by our agents rather than the Space Force Alliance."

"And like a good boy, you're gonna take him back."

"I still am a tool of the Faction, King…just as you are a tool of the Gods."

Vulcan snorts and grins. "Heh, don't get it twisted. I'm no tool."

"Denial. Do you still believe that a sorcerer can become a God himself?"

"If he did," Vulcan wraps his hand around the sword, and then pushes it away, knocking Sion backwards a few steps, "then so can I."

Sion remains focused on the deluded king, the tip of Hakumei aimed at Vulcan's throat. He utters softly, "You don't mean--"

The sound of approaching footsteps cuts Sion's question short. Vulcan glances over his shoulder, noticing many shadows in the lit corridors behind him. "Looks like the cavalry is arriving."

Sion lowers his head in disgust, quickly sheathing Hakumei. "Space Forces."

Maelstrom growls at the mentioning of the USFA. _'Them…I hear they oppose the methods of the IGPF and World Heroes,' _she mulls. _'Did you calculate their arrival, Vulcan?'_

She exchanges stares with her King, unable to share the same glee as him as the Space Forces drew closer. Vulcan makes the first move, extending a hand towards her. "Looks like we'll have to postpone our reunion, Maelstrom."

"You plan to escape?" she shoots back.

And he fires right back, "You wanna run away with me?"

She closes her eyes and grunts. "Trying to win me back?"

Vulcan continues to smile, his hand waiting for her to accept the invitation. Suddenly, a flash of green light appears behind him, blinding those in front of him. Maelstrom, however, stares directly into the light, watching a figure step out and stand alongside the King of Sorcery. She decides to take a wild guess and surmises it to be…

Vulcan lowers his hand and slides it into his dirty jeans pocket, his eyes never lingering from his Queen. "Is it done?"

The dark figure beside him holds a jewel radiating in a greenish glow. Turning to the Space Forces' officers coming around the corner, he holds the gemstone high above his head. "The Chaos Emerald has been acquired, just as you planned, King Vulcan—God of Sorcery."

"God of Sorcery?" Maelstrom growls under her breath. "And the Chaos Emerald…where did he…?"

"And that wraps things up here, folks," Vulcan concludes, clapping his hands as he backs away in the brightening green light. "Thank you! You've all been wonderful for our audience tonight!"

"Project Shadow!" A Space Forces officer shouts from the corridor, drawing his pistol as he hurries to him. "Don't even think of moving!"

Dissipating in the light with Shadow, Vulcan turns to the Space Forces members and takes a bow. He looks up at the brash male running towards them and laughs as the light swallows him whole. "And time begins yet again."

"Stop!" he screams, but he is too late. Lunging towards the fading light, he finds himself only falling to the ground. Rolling and pushing himself up with his hand, he immediately turns and points his silver gun Maelstrom and Sion's way. He snaps his head upward and frowns. "Sorcery was used here. I can sense it."

He pulls the cocking handle back and narrows his dark red gaze. "Good thing I'm here then."

**Vulcan disappears and a new foe stands in Maelstrom's path!**

**To Be Continued…**


	16. The Sorceress' Knight

United Space Force Alliance

_United Space Force Alliance_

"_An organization excelling in the technology of space and beyond, what are their reasons for Shadow's capture?"_

**The Sorceress' Knight**

**With Shadow's escape, the Space Forces' officer sets his sights on Maelstrom…**

"Heh, who would have thought it," the young, blonde-haired officer hunches his shoulders and laughs, lowering his gun for but a moment. "She was right! She foresaw your presence here, and here I thought the old hag was lying!"

Maelstrom plants her hands on her hips and shoots the boy a glower. "The hell are you talking about, kid? Me?"

"Captain!"

The blonde-haired man looks over his shoulder at his two subordinates as they run to his side. "You guys are too slow," he scolds, directing them towards Maelstrom. "Because of you two, we've missed the chance to capture Shadow and the other sorcerer."

The dark-skinned male to his left hurries to him and explains, "We had a tough time tracking the energy until that sudden spike just now, ya know?" He moves in closer and whispers into his captain's ear. "It's partly Fujin's fault, ya know?"

A sharp pain shoots through his ankle a second later. "_Yooooowwwwchh_!" he screams, jumping around on one foot, favoring his injured ankle. He glares at the culprit. "I was just kidding, Fujin, ya know!"

The pale-skinned woman runs a gloved hand through her short, silver hair and scoffs. "Liar," she says, adjusting the patch over her left eye.

"Captain Seifer Almasy of the Space Forces' special division," Sion announces as he steps forward. "One of the seven officers of the Galactic Guardians."

Seifer twirls his gun about with his finger before sliding it back into his hip holster. "Someone's been doing their homework. State your name!"

Sion's subordinates, Raijin and Ryoko come to his side as he says, "I am Sion of the Neo-United States government."

"The US?" Seifer snorts, stepping back as he places a hand in his pocket and studies Sion. "A little faraway from home, aren't ya?"

"I have my reasons."

Seifer narrows his gaze, his grin growing more devious. "The rumors are true then…about the US and Project Shadow."

"Rumors are just that. Rumors."

"Heh, don't give me that. You're on Earth Two now and you'll play by our rules," Seifer commands, training his pistol's sights on Sion's forehead. "Now, step away from the sorceress and leave her to me."

"I have nothing to do with this," Maelstrom cuts in. "I'm done here."

"Actually, you're coming with me."

Maelstrom's menacing glare…Seifer and his subordinates feel a sub-zero chill chatter their bones when they look into the sorceress' visible cerulean eye. "I don't answer to you, _human_," she seethes. "My business here is done, therefore, I'm leaving."

Fighting against the butterflies fluttering in his stomach, Seifer musters a defiant smirk as he turns his gun to Maelstrom. "Don't think I'm afraid of you, Sorceress. I know how to deal with your kind."

"Really?" She grabs the strands of hair shrouding her mysterious right eye, warning her foes of the dangers behind testing her patience. Gradually, the moonlight filters through the locks, a haunting golden glow peeking through. 

Sion slides in front of Maelstrom, resting his hands around the hilt and sheath of Hakumei as he assumes his stance. 

Maelstrom grunts, dropping her hand. "What are you doing?"

Sion whispers to her over his shoulder, "Protecting you."

"I don't need your protection."

"I realize that."

"Then why are you doing it?"

Sion lowers his head, his breath faltering slightly. "I…I don't know."

_"Save the Queen."_

A distorted voice claws against his skull. It compels him, forcing him to protect Maelstrom. Sion wonders if this had anything to do with _him_. When _he_ left Sion, did leave these memories behind as well? But still, why her? Why Maelstrom?

Sion refuses to answer the questions swirling around in his mind, focusing only on the task. 

Seifer growls, "Planning to get in my way, Tough Guy?"

Sion raises his head, the glint in his eyes catching Almasy off-guard. Though his expression remains bare, his eyes display resolution. Seifer lightly squeezes the trigger. "You plan on taking me on with a sword?"

Sion remains silent, his body motionless as his breathing shallows. 

"Yo!" Raijin, Seifer's subordinate yelled, waving at Sion. "Our captain just asked you a question, ya know!"

Fujin casts Raijin her usual scowl. "Silence!"

Raijin snorts, but says nothing as he watches Seifer and Sion.

Seifer applies a slight bit of pressure to his pistol's trigger. He takes note of Sion's stance, knees bent, his body leaning forward…, _'He's gonna try to attack me before I pull the trigger, eh?'_

Almasy laughs inwardly at the thought. _'As if he's that fast. No human is that fast.'_

Still, Sion's eyes…

Almasy shakes away the feeling creeping up his spine. "Enough of this! If you won't move, I'll make you move!"

He squeezes the trigger. 

_**Bang! **_

_**Bang! **_

_**Bang!**_

Seifer chokes on his gasp, his subordinates frozen. Maelstrom's eye bulge, though it should not have surprised her. She had a feeling what Sion was capable of, but this was beyond what she fathomed.

This was Vulcan's strongest rival? A man whose very presence frightens Maelstrom somehow? A man whose speed exceeded that of any normal human? Maelstrom made certain she didn't miss his movements this time, though she caught only enough to classify Sion not as a human but a demon.

She remembers him drawing his blade, streaks of light cutting the air an instant later, slicing the bullets into harmless pieces of metal as they popped mid-air. She then saw him rush to Seifer and press the tip of his blade against the boy's gullet.

All in a matter of three seconds.

"Sion…," Maelstrom loses her words in the thicket of distress and dread.

"Superior Sion is giving you an opportunity to leave," Ryoko tells her as she and Raijin watch from the rear. She nods. "Do so, Queen."

Maelstrom returns the nod, looking back at Sion as he entangles the Space Forces in a web of fear with Seifer's humiliation. "Why is he protecting me?" she wonders as she passes by Ryoko.

Ryoko continues to watch her superior with Raijin, but spares Maelstrom a simple answer. "Because his memories will him to do so."

Maelstrom grunts, but offers no rejoinder. Walking past the distracted Black Berets tending their Lieutenant, she slips into the crowds, wary eyes drawn to her as she finds an exit.

"You're not human!" Seifer yells, his hand held high as he drops his gun. A cold sweat runs down his forehead. "There's no way someone can be that fast! You can't be a US agent!"

"Captain!" Raijin and Fujin call out to him, the soldiers behind them aiming their pistols at Sion.

Sion lifts his head, the murderous intent evident in his gaze. "Stay away from the Queen."

"What?" Seifer hisses.

"The sorceress, Maelstrom…I cannot allow you to harm her."

"Are you…her guardian?" Seifer chuckles. "The Sorceress' Knight? I bet you think you're the hero, huh?"

The blade quickly retreats, spinning around by will of its master before seeking shelter in its sheath. Blood gushes and a scream pierces the ears of everyone around as Seifer drops to his knees.

"You _bastard_!" he exclaims, covering the bridge of his nose as blood pours down his face. "My nose!"

"_Captain_!" Raijin and Fujin rush to his aid. Raijin kneels down and see a deep cut running diagonally across the bridge of Seifer's nose. They didn't even see Sion cut him! They only watched him sheathe his sword, maybe spin it around a couple of times, but that was it!

Fujin could care less how he pulled it off. He wasn't walking away from this encounter alive. "Fire!" she commands the Space Forces' officers behind them.

She awaits the report of gunfire, however…

"She just told ya to fire, ya know?" Raijin roars as he gets Seifer to one knee.

"Our pistols won't fire!" one of the officers shouted.

"What?"

Sion halts, taking a moment to listen in.

"Our guns our jammed, sir!" another officer complains.

"You gotta be kidding me, ya know?"

"You…," Seifer snarls as he rises to his wobbling feet, his arm wrapped around Raijin's shoulder. "Don't think I'm out because of this. I won't live this humiliation down."

Sion turns to him, his face stained with Almasy's blood. "Then use it as fuel…," he utters in a frigid tone. "The scar that will rest on your face will fuel your hatred for me. That will be your motivation."

Seifer growls.

But Sion's remains unmoved by his defeated foe's intimidation methods. "I want to see pure hatred. I want to see what kind of face I should give _him_ when we meet. Perhaps that face you have right now."

"Bastard! Arrest him!"

"She's already disarmed your men," Sion says just as they took a step. His words halt them; however, his stare terrifies him. "I'm not as forgiving as her. I will kill you in front of these people."

"You may be a freak, but there's no way you can take all of us on," Seifer refutes. "Your two cronies don't stand a chance, either!"

"I wouldn't belittle those two if I were you, Captain Seifer."

With squinted eyes, Seifer searches around him for the female voice. "Who said that? Your back-up?"

"No."

Appearing in front of the swordsman, the white-haired spy comes out of her camouflage wearing her typical grin. "Actually, I'm his Superior."

Sion turns away and saunters to his assistants. "Stealth camouflage…not to mention your knives, Madame Rouge."

Sion's Superior waves him off, not letting her eyes linger away from Seifer and the Space Forces. "It'd be best if you stay out of our organization's affairs, tell Lord Cid and Mistress Edea that, okay, dear?" she requests, her tone derisive and her wink adding venom.

"This isn't over!" Seifer roars. "The Neo-US is gonna pay for making war on our turf."

Sion and his subordinates vanish as Rouge backs away. "Silly boy, as if they can touch us."

**Disappearing just as she came, Rouge leaves the Space Forces in disarray!**

**To Be Continued…**

_A/N: I don't know if this is just me, but I've been feeling like the quality of my writing has been suffering. If you feel this is true, let me know. Trying out different writing techniques can make me paranoid._

_**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 8 character and names belong to Square Soft and them alone.**_

_Seifer: "When we get back…add Sion and Rouge to the 'List'."_


	17. Marionette

_With eyes full of ambition, you look to that blue sky you long for._

_One hand clutched, you dream only of the stars._

_Oblivious to the troubles of the world outside of us, you turn to me._

_You smile and say without a hint of doubt._

"_I will travel beyond the bounds of this universe and find my place amongst the stars."_

_It is with this promise that you leave me to wallow in the darkness._

--

**The Final Frontier**

--

_Descending from the skies you loved ever so, I dream of the new journey that awaits me._

_Eyes shut from the world, tears escape me as the memories of the friends I have met flash before me._

_Through the good._

_Through the rough._

_Through the smiles._

_Through the tears._

_At the end of this path…_

_We meet again._

_Face to face once again near the threshold of light and darkness, I ask,_

"_Have you found your place amongst the stars?"_

_And you answer…_

--

**Episode 16: Marionette**

_**Yesterday…**_

--

Major Motoko Kusangi studied the picture of the missing Project Shadow intensely. Seeing him floating in suspended animation brought her back to the days when she needed a new prosthetic body and remained in cryo-stasis. Yeah, she remembered.

How she hated those days. Even if it was to save her, she loathed every minute that escaped her. Forced to watch behind the glass, frozen in time as life went on outside. She knew how Shadow felt, even though they had different purposes in life. Unfortunately for him, he was a weapon created for the government—at least that was what the files stated, but the Major realized that she could never believe the reports of the Neo U.S. The Mephiles Case was proof of that.

"If you keep giving him that look, Major, I think you might kill him."

A comment like that could only come from her main subordinate, Batou. She smiled fleetingly as he stood beside her, reading the monitor displaying Shadow's picture. "You think so?" she joked. "I think I would hardly be a match for a weapon created for mass destruction."

Batou adjusted his armored vest as a chuckle escaped him. It seemed a bit small for his burly cybernetic body, but he didn't complain. "Whenever you get pissed, I don't think there's much of a difference."

"Heh." The Major crossed her arms and entered the corridor leading to the Section Nine conference room with her subordinate. "I'm surprised how quick his escape is becoming public knowledge. Already the internet is creating their farfetched stories about him."

"The internet geeks live for these kinds of things, of course. A top-secret government project escapes and is out and about. I'm shocked he hasn't made a segment on GNN."

"It's only a matter of time. Speaking of GNN," Motoko's laid-back attitude vanished in an instant as the topic changed, "our old friend is back in the spotlight."

Batou laughed. He loved how the Major referred to _him _as an old friend. In the world of Section Nine, he was amongst their most wanted.

"How long has it been since we've heard about him?" Batou scratched his white beard and wondered.

"Three years since the Revolution."

"It seemed to fly by fast."

"Time will do that to you."

Batou wouldn't argue that, especially with the Major. "So, what more has our hero done since then?"

The Major pressed the button aside the elevator, answering as she waited, "Aside from his alleged aid in the escape of Project Shadow, he's been the mastermind in forty-five to sixty percent of the most wanted bounties."

"Right, he _was_ a bounty hunter."

"He still is," Kusangi corrected.

"He is?"

She nodded.

"But isn't it public knowledge about his identity? They know Sethlans King is an alias, right?"

"It was dismissed by government officials as false rumors."

"Damn." Batou bit the nail on his thumb, grinding his teeth to ease the building frustration. "Someone up top is definitely covering his ass. Solid proof and yet they refuse to bring him to the light."

The elevator door opened and the two entered. The Major pressed B8 and stepped back as the elevator began its descent underground. "It was how he was able to join the Parliament seven years ago under his name, Sethlans King. The Chief doesn't want to believe it, but we all know this comes back to General Renoa. He did recommend him after all."

Batou concurred, "Yeah, the old man and the young General are good friends, which is a bad thing. It's blinding him from the truth. I mean, I still think General Renoa is a good guy, but--"

"I've never thought of him as a bad person either," intervened the Major, "however his refusal to fess up to his mess is putting the government's creditability into question. The public is going to figure out sooner or later we're harboring a terrorist."

"Would you go so far as to label him a terrorist? I guess the Mephiles Case has still left a bad taste in your mouth."

She crossed her arms once more, willing away the abstract memories of encountering what was thought to be Sethlans during their case with the Neo-US' Mephiles Project. "He may have been able to convince others, but I know that it was him. DNA scans don't lie."

"But then again," Batou began to argue, "We never were able to determine if the original DNA sample _was _Seth."

"Then call it a woman's intuition then."

"I won't doubt that then, Major." Batou smiled, cupping his large hands around his waist and looking down at the shorter Motoko. "So, what does the White Prince have to say about all of this?"

Kusangi hunched her shoulders. "Lord Phoebus has remained silent on the matter concerning Sethlans. His resolution on the Revolution was pretty much the only thing he's done in the effort of bettering our image to the public, though that's all it takes."

"Just to smile and grin out in public and read fan mail from his millions of fans, right?" Batou drawled. "Must be a glamorous life for him."

Major laughed a little, noticing a certain tone in her comrade's voice. "You seem jealous, Batou."

Batou immediately huffed and snorted. "Yeah, right! That pretty boy is still just eye candy to the public if you ask me. I don't even believe he did anything besides bark orders."

"We'll get a chance to meet him in person soon."

"You mean that gathering at his headquarters? You plan on going with the old man?"

"I have to."

Batou shrugged. "That's what we have security details for, Major…unless you want to meet him yourself." A sly smirk materialized on his rugged face. "Aww, does the Major have a crush on Prince Phoebus?"

Motoko gave Batou a strange look. The glint in her eye and the smile on her face…he shook his head.

"Wait, you actually do?"

"I'm not into such childish emotions, Batou," she clarified. "But I'm interested in seeing if he's as passionate about his pursuit in peace as he says on television. His community journal entries tell you a lot about him—if he's the one really writing him."

"Sounds like you're a fan."

Her smile cracked a little wider. "I just may be."

_**Ding!**_

The elevator door opened. Motoko and Batou exited and entered the room on the left.

"Major," the Chief and head of Section Nine, Aramaki, announced as he finished writing his report to his higher command, "I trust you've been notified on the situation with Project Shadow?"

"I always try to stay in the know, Chief," she answered, her attitude towards her superior similar to that of two close friends instead of a soldier and commander. "Is it safe to say this has King's fingerprints?"

"As usual, there's not a definite 'yes' or 'no' from the higher ups about King's involvement in incidents such as this."

"Still covering for him, I see." A slight scowl appeared on Motoko's doll-like visage.

Aramaki grunted, sitting back in his recliner chair. "As you know, we're incapable of conducting our own investigation unless given authorization from our superiors."

"And it's that technicality that's screwing us over," Batou commented, favoring the wrinkles in his forehead. "We know this guy is just milking the system to do whatever he wants."

"I'm sure given the right incentive, they'll change their ways," the Major said as she leaned against the wall beside the Chief's desk. "Major Sephiroth of the Jenova Forces met his end because of his choices in allegiances."

"And the two people responsible for bringing him down now are either dead or missing," Batou reminded her. "Trusting Sethlans King and Shinra as their allies was their downfall."

"Regardless," Aramaki spoke up, "Major, I want you to shadow the Parliament in their operation tomorrow in Artemis City."

"It's taking place at the stadium for that racing event, right?" Major inquired.

Aramaki nodded, clasping his hands on his desk as he leaned forward. "Sethlans King is rumored to be there. The source of this information is from a reliable source."

"Since when have you taken rumors to heart, Chief?" Kusangi smiled. "I must say that I'm surprised."

Aramaki pinned her with a ghastly stare. Even as a cyborg, she felt chills down her spines whenever he gave her those stern eyes. He waited a moment before telling her, "Sethlans told our operator himself that he was coming."

"What?" Motoko and Batou exclaimed in unison.

"Is this bastard cocky or just plain stupid?" Batou slammed his fist into the wall.

The Major tilted her head towards the ceiling. "Maybe a bit of both… Either way, we've got no choice but to go."

**Present Day…**

"So, let's get started, huh?" said Blade Phoebus, his two chain blades—Viper and Cobra—reverting to their razor-sharp steel sword forms. Faced with the zipper craft, Red Tail, he grinned. "I'll make this quick, though. I have things to do."

Her aircraft sparked from the punctures it sustained thanks to the barbed chains. Still, she had more than enough firepower to take on a human opponent, even if the human possessed strange weaponry.

"I'll take it you're after the bounty as well," Faye said over the loudspeaker. "Well, I'm not letting you take my prey. Get out of my way!"

Blade's smile grew more sadistic, the ominous gust whipping the tail of his black coat in the night. He raised his weapons, gradually sliding into his stance—

_**Clang!**_

As if he developed a sixth sense, Blade blocked the powerful electric blow coming from his left side with the blunt side of his sword. Knocked a good distance back, he flipped himself back up mid-air and skidded to a stop beside Maurice. He hawked and spit, staring down the new enemy clad in golden cybernetic armor.

"The hell you want?" he hissed.

The spiked armor retracted its arm back and stood erect, a pair of ginger eyes behind the circular tinted visor studying Blade.

"Geez, this is getting ridiculous!" Maurice groaned. "I bet this guy thinks I'm this Shadow guy too!"

Blade snorted. "How 'bout making yourself useful and taking out that bitch in the zip-craft?"

"And how do you propose I do that?"

"I don't know!" Blade roared, shooting Maurice the most demonic expression he had ever seen. "Just so _something_, twerp!"

Maurice gasped and took a step back. He swallowed a large lump in his throat and chuckled. "Hey, hey, no need to be so hostile, ya know?"

He turned away from Phoebus, his forced smile dropping into a frown. He sighed. _'Man, talk about scary!'_

_**Clang! Clang! Clang!**_

Quick but just as strong as the first blows, Blade's new opponent managed to bring him down to one knee with the power of its roundhouse kicks. Barely able to deflect it with his sword, he laughed. "That all ya got, punk?"

Its motions as fluid as water, it twisted its body around before lowering its foot.

"Combat ability analyzed. Aurora's power limiter set to seventy-five percent."

The female computerized voice took Blade by surprise. He laughed a little. "Another cocky bitch, huh?" he asked himself as he rose to his feet. "Think you can win with using just twenty-five percent of your power?"

Using their confrontation as a distraction, Maurice hurried out of the area, his feet carrying him at a near abnormal speed, though he failed to notice. His only concern was getting the hell out of dodge. "Those guys can keep at it all they want. I'm outta here!"

"Thinking of escaping so soon?"

The loudspeaker of the Red Tail boomed into the night as it emerged from the side of the highway, its damaged guns training its sights on her prey. "That bounty belongs to me!"

Maurice shot her an irritated look as he continued running. "You just don't know when to quit or take a hint! I'm not Shadow!"

"Even if that's the case, there's a price on your head and I'm taking it!"

"Taking the innocent?"

Springing himself high into the air, he felt himself floating in the skies before descending like a meteor onto the windshield of the Red Tail. His eyes filled with ire, he roared, "_What kind of world is this_?"

Taken by surprise, Faye pulled back sharply and ascended. "Running _that_ fast and jumping _that_ high…you can't tell me you aren't _him_?"

A beam of red light lit up the night, screaming through the congested highway and finding its mark through the armor of the Red Tail. The shock of the explosion threw Maurice off and knocked the Red Tail for a loop.

"What the hell is going on _now_?" Faye hissed, holding on for dear life as she pulled her zip-craft back up with all of her might.

Somersaulting in the air, Maurice sighted his saving grace. Taking its hand as it zipped through, he flipped himself back onto the platform of the small mecha-jet. "You're just in time, Blitz!"

Donned in his oversized goggles, the mop-headed blonde charged the plasma cannon mounted on the front of the mecha for another shot. "To think I would need to use my prototype so soon," he laughed, firing another high-powered round at the Red Tail. "I haven't even given this thing a name yet. Heck, it still needs a paint job!"

"Now this _kid_ is after him?" Faye blurted out before another shot destroyed her gun arm. The explosion caused her ship's sensors to go haywire. "Damn! Outdone by a brat like him? Where's Edward when you need her?"

"Wait, don't kill her!" Maurice pleaded. "This is all one, big mistake! She and everyone else think I'm some other guy that's wanted!"

"You serious?" Blitz snorted, clutching the side controls and bringing the mecha up in a spiral via its quad-jet boosters. "Who else on this planet looks like _you_ of all people?"

"I don't know, but he's getting me in a lot of trouble."

Evading Aurora's electric punch, Blade hissed as he glanced at the situation hanging above him. _'Damn, this is more trouble than it's worth!'_

To confront Maurice and his two brothers was Blade's primary objective, however now it's become something much more. Dragged into a vortex of disorder Blade needed to figure out a way of taking out Aurora and retrieving Maurice and the others.

This really did suck. Blade was never a critical thinker, after all.

* * *

Things were going better than expected for Vulcan. Not only did everyone mistake Maurice Blitzkrieg for Project Shadow, Maelstrom and Sion's appearance threw the Parliament into uncertainty. The power to manipulate time and space rested in his—no, it rested in Shadow's hands.

Shadow was a far more useful asset than Vulcan expected. His ability to utilize Chaos Control was good enough since Vulcan didn't need to exert all of his energy to conjure the spell, but it proved to be more potent than both his and Maelstrom's adaptations, too. With it, he would be one step closer to achieve his goals…or rather, the will of the Gods.

Viewing the struggles from the roof of the highest skyscraper in Artemis City, Vulcan and Shadow awaited the final pieces of the grand plans for the evening to arrive.

"Heh, I'm really starting to dig this party," Vulcan said, wrapping the final bit of bandage around his right hand from his fight with Sion earlier. "A light show, lots of fighting, and they even threw in some babes at no extra charge! Life is good right now."

Shadow crossed his arms, his sights honed in on the boy the public believed was him. "You're depending on that boy as well, Vulcan?" he pondered aloud.

"He's making the distraction work, right? By the time they figure out that he's not you, it'll be too late."

"What is it that you're planning, I wonder?"

"My plans?" Vulcan folded his arms below his chest, unable to wipe the grin from his face. "I plan on opening the minds of the inhabitants of this universe. I want them to know of the worlds beyond the bounds, and the dangers that threaten us as a whole."

"A savior? Do you truly believe yourself to be a god?"

Vulcan sniggered, looking out the corner of his eyes at the final pieces of the puzzle for the night. "It's about time. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show." He whipped himself around and gave his guests a slight bow. "But I'm glad you could make it. The party is just about to start."

"From the looks of things, you seemed to have started without me," his main guest joked.

They shared the same smile, though one hid disdain and vengeance behind itself. Still, Vulcan didn't care. "I meant our private waltz, Major Kusangi. It has been quite a long time, hasn't it?"

Motoko Kusangi and Batou of Section Nine charged their pistols, keeping them low and ready as they prepared to kick off the bash.

"But there's little time, so how about we skip to the last dance?" Kusangi suggested, her smile quickly fading. "Sethlans King, this ends tonight."

"Impossible," he uttered, lowering his head. "It can't end tonight."

Gradually, he raised his head and the ice blue eyes of the Sorcery King displayed a hint of iniquity.

"No, this is when it all begins: The Final Frontier."

**To Be Continued…**


	18. The Empire

_With eyes full of ambition, you look to that blue sky you long for._

_One hand clutched, you dream only of the stars._

_Oblivious to the troubles of the world outside of us, you turn to me._

_You smile and say without a hint of doubt._

"_I will travel beyond the bounds of this universe and find my place amongst the stars."_

_It is with this promise that you leave me to wallow in the darkness._

**The Final Frontier **

_Descending from the skies you loved ever so, I dream of the new journey that awaits me._

_Eyes shut from the world, tears escape me as the memories of the friends I have met flash before me._

_Through the good._

_Through the rough._

_Through the smiles._

_Through the tears._

_At the end of this path…_

_We meet again._

_Face to face once again near the threshold of light and darkness, I ask,_

"_Have you found your place amongst the stars?"_

_And you answer…_

**Episode 17: The Empire**

"Finally! The pieces are all in place!" Sethlans "Vulcan" King shouted from the top of the skyscraper, his voice echoing throughout the city. "Everyone has played their roles perfectly. We're all set up for the arrival of the antagonist!"

The Major trained her pistol's sights on the laughing sorcerer, the cocking of her gun's hammer ceasing his laughter. "Sethlans!" she exclaimed, the calm in her tone struggling against the disgust towards the young man who manipulated the government long ago in his previous "plans".

Sethlans thrust his arm outward, slowly forming a fist as he spoke, "Kusangi! This is the purpose of humans—mortals born into these realms they call home. They are pawns! Pawns to be used in the grand game played by the Gods! All of these years, I have wondered why they bestowed upon me their greatest keepsake, and now I know."

Shooting his arms far apart, Vulcan took his dramatic stance as he took his time on the soap box.

"I was destined to become a God myself! Vulcan—God of Sorcery! Be honored, Major! You're staring down a future God."

"You're insane," Batou cut in. "You're nothing more than an egotist high off some hallucinogen spouting bullshit!"

Vulcan snorted but smirked. "You always did dislike me, eh, Batou? Ever since our first meeting during that interrogation, I could see it. But even on that day, I had figured out a place for you in my—no," he shook his head, chuckling a little, "no…the Gods' plans. To bring the darkness to the light!"

"Major…," Batou growled, his finger trembling tight around the trigger, "this bastard is really pushing it…"

"I know how you feel," she whispered, "but we don't have the authorization."

Damn the red tape constricting their desires. If they had the permission, Vulcan would be full of holes now. Nevertheless, Sethlans King was not to be harmed. He was to be brought in alive with Project Shadow.

Speaking of Shadow, where did he…

"Wait! Project Shadow!" Motoko noticed! "He's gone!"

Vulcan smiled.

He raised his hand, preparing to deal the fatal blow…

_**Bang!**_

"Not bad," Vulcan mumbled under his breath, "but…"

What appeared as a phantom image vanishing an instant later, Shadow skated around Batou and Major, dodging the sniper bullet by mere inches. He twirled on his air skates back to Vulcan's side, holding the crown jewel in his hand.

"The power of Chaos Control surpasses that of your capable sniper!" Vulcan cackled, glancing over the right of his shoulder at the neighboring skyscraper. "It's been a long time, Saito!"

"What?" Batou growled. "He hacked in on our freq? But I didn't detect anything! Did you, Major?"

Motoko grunted, taking a step back to catch her breath from the close encounter with the weapon deemed as the Ultimate Life Form. "Not only that, you weren't able to pick up on Shadow's movements until he was behind me?"

"That's right," Saito, Section Nine's tactical sniper, told his superior from his perch, his M82 Barrett aimed directly at King's head. "There's no sign of my eyes being hacked either. But there's no way someone is that fast."

"And you won't," Seth informed them. Another laugh to incite his adversaries and he continued, "for that instant when Shadow used the Chaos Emerald, time froze."

"Didn't I say stop spouting that bullshit?" Batou snapped.

"Would you put that gun away already?" the sorcerer sighed and shrugged as he gave Batou a dull look. "It's not like you can shoot me anyway. You'd face serious repercussions, even as members of Section Nine."

Batou snarled, but lowered his gun nonetheless.

Again, Vulcan's laugh irritated them to no end, but what could they do? "Have you forgotten? I know the ins and outs of the laws surrounding this world. I _was_ a member of the Parliament—what's left of it anyway."

"The government is going to realize the insanity of your plans, Sethlans," Motoko told him. "They can't protect you forever."

"Heh, I don't expect them to. In fact, as of now, I have no further use for them."

No further use?

Just like that?

"_**One who claims to be an emissary of the Gods, who is Vulcan really?"**_

The corridors of the main World Heroes office were quiet tonight. Blade and Maelstrom's absence were mostly the reason for that. It was nice to not hear their bickering for one night, though Jin had to admit that he actually enjoyed listening to their arguing. It meant that they were bonding in their own way. Jin smiled as he entered the main hall

Tomorrow night, he planned on having a social gathering in the main lobby. The decorations and furniture was already put into place. All that was missing were the refreshments, but those would come in the morning. If everything went the way in which he had intended, then everyone would realize the true intentions of his organization's mission. The Space Forces and the IGPF's top officers would be present as well as the media moguls. He even heard rumors of a few Neo-US representatives coming to the event. It came as no surprise. Even though Phoebus supported the Colonization Act stressed during the third World War, he had few enemies when it came to the Americans. He didn't know why, but they seemed to leave his name out of their arguments.

Maybe they knew something about him. Then again, no one knew the real Jin Phoebus—only his son, and _her_.

Standing beside him, _she_ viewed the world below them from the clear glass wall. Jin sensed her fascination.

"So, the light no longer shines even in the higher realms?" he queried, shattering the long silence between each other. "No doubt his work, correct?"

"True light has never shined in the Underworld," said the hooded woman, her small fingers sliding down on the glass. "But the presence of our enemies has increased since your absence. They blame you for the flux."

"They always need a scapegoat in order to make themselves feel better." A flick of his hair and he continued, "I just happened to be the fool they wanted to blame. But I have a feeling he's involved with their decision in some way."

"They would believe him rather than an Exile. This is why she sent me."

"She resides in the lower realms now?" Jin stifled his giggle. "It's our fate, I suppose."

"It was for another incident, however…One that happened thirty-years later."

"Even so, this was meant to be. One way or another, I will find him."

The woman dropped her hand from the window and turned to the prince, her expression shrouded by the darkness. Jin's eye showed great hatred though his lips refused to curve. He truly did hate that man, didn't he?

"Attention! Attention! Be advised! An unidentified Class-S airship has been detected within Artemis airspace!"

Jin looked up, paying attention to the announcement over the loudspeakers.

"I repeat! An unidentified Class-S airship has been detected within Artemis airspace! All units within the Artemis City boundaries are on high alert! Again, all units within the Artemis City boundaries are on high alert!"

"That's where Phaeton and Maelstrom are…," he whispered.

"An airship?" she echoed.

"It's a large vessel that sails the skies. There are many here in this world, but few S-Classes." Jin rubbed his chin. "The only kinds of airships that are Class-S are military transporters or warships."

"What will you do?"

It didn't take Jin long to turn to her and give her an answer. "Nothing. "

"Are your comrades not in danger?"

"You and the others will come to realize that my organization is not to be underestimated."

Jin grinned, confident in the abilities of his budding heroes. They would be the ones that bring down the skies of darkness someday.

He believed it with every fiber in his body.

"_**A handsome prince who wishes to bring down the sky, what does Jin truly seek?"**_

An explosion of electricity rattled the steel foundation of the main highway as Blade and Aurora's fists collided. The electricity flowing through the armor's suit sent jolts through the youth's body, but he shrugged them off and pressed on with a roundhouse kick. Seeing his opponent arching her back to evade, he sprung off his balancing foot and back-flipped above Aurora's head. Twisting himself to face her, he sneered. "Ready for this?" he mocked, stretching his arms afar, swords in hand. "I'll show you the gap in skill with _this_!"

_**Poof!**_

In a burst of black feathers, Blade vanished! Aurora somersaulted back onto her feet and searched around for any sign of Phoebus. Her sensors weren't picking up anything!

Until then…, "Where're you looking, bitch?" Blade snapped as he appeared from above! He rolled in mid-air before releasing his deadly barbed chains with a quick spin of his body. Breaking apart from one another, the barbs surrounded Aurora and pinpointed her body with ghastly accuracy. The bare whips spared her no mercy either as they beat on her armor with lashings.

For her armor, Aurora could take the damage. This was nothing, though she had doubts if Blade did. Raising her forearms in defense, her front shields activated and deflected the barbs and whips one by one.

But she didn't calculate his next move. Appearing in front of her, he surprised her with a ferocious charge! "As if a human hiding behind a tin can stands a chance against me!" he shouted as he spun around and smashed the back of his fist into her shields with a mighty scream. The sheer power of his attack made the shields go haywire in an instant and sent her flying into oncoming traffic!

"Warning! Warning! Shields disabled! Power reserves low! Switching to Operation Beta!"

Heeding the message of her armor's A.I., Aurora jumped off the bumper of an SUV and rolled onto the safe side of the highway, albeit her landing was off. She hissed as she hit her knee hard on asphalt, but managed to slowly come to her feet as Blade approached.

"To think you'd recover from that," Phoebus half-complimented arrogantly, "you're actually decent for a human that hides behind a hunk of junk."

He sheathed his swords across his back and crossed his arms. "But this is the end of the line. You can't win against me."

"You are mistaken, Phaeton Phoebus," Aurora said, the plates of her leggings and arms retracting towards her body. "This suit, Aurora, does nothing to enhance my abilities except in terms of defense."

Blade grunted. Hearing someone else beside his father call him Phaeton bothered him. "So, you _do_ know who I am."

"Affirmative…you are Phaeton Phoebus, son of Lord Jin Phoebus—founder of the World Heroes organization."

She gripped the front of her helmet with soft yet bruised hands. The back of the helmet collapsed and a hiss of steam erupted, her hair gasping for fresh air as it fell freely to her shoulder blades. Blade raised an eyebrow, admiring the beauty hidden beneath the outer shell.

Tossing the helmet aside, she stood before Blade, half-armored. "I am Alice Aniston of the IGPF Special Forces. You are in violation of the treaty signed between our three organizations: The IGPF, the United Space Forces Alliance, and the World Heroes. Paragraph ten, line three states: Neither organization shall interfere in the mission of another under any condition."

"Then what the hell you doing in my way, lady?" Blade growled. "My father instructed me to bring that kid, Maurice and his brothers back to base."

"Negative, the target's name is Shadow."

"It's Maurice! _Maurice_!"

Alice and Blade turned their heads at the boy in question floating around on a mecha-jet. He blew an exasperated sigh and turned his back to them.

"There you have it," Blade added. "That kid isn't the one you're looking for. Looks like you've been sent on a wild goose chase, if you ask me."

That was impossible. The description matched perfectly with the boy. Alice took a step back, studying Maurice as he and his brother flew about the scene. Green eyes, blonde hair, everything matched up. Perhaps they needed a DNA scan to determine if it were indeed Shadow. And even if she was wrong, she was only following orders. She didn't bear a grudge against Maurice; it was the way she was. She always placed the mission before her personal opinion, no matter how farfetched the task seemed. It was what made her one of the IGPF's top soldiers.

"Until verified by HQ," Aniston spoke up, her ginger eyes focused back on Phoebus, "he is my target."

Blade shook his head and laughed. "Man, you're one dumb bitch. You _know_ that's not him. He even says he's not Shadow. What more proof do you need?"

"These are my orders. I do not deviate from them. I obey them to the fullest extent of my abilities."

"Pfft, like I said…you're an airhead."

Alice tilted her chin slightly upward, relaxing her arms as slowly inhaled and exhaled. She lowered her head and stared Phoebus down, showing little emotion. "As said before earlier, this suit, Aurora, does nothing to enhance my physical capabilities, but rather…"

Blade blinked and she passed by him!

"It suppresses them."

For that instant, Blade's eyes widened in shock. A sharp pain in his stomach made his body scream in agony. Crashing to his knees and then on all fours, he gasped desperately for air.

"Did you see that?" Maurice shook Blitz by the shoulder, pointing at Alice. "She took him down with just one punch!"

Blitz pushed his older brother away from him and spared a glance at the beauty setting her sights on them. He grunted, his eyes narrowing into thin slits. "Wait a minute; is she an…android?"

"**Obeying her orders until the end, what motivates Alice Aniston?"**

"So now you admit to using the government's interest in you to your full advantage?" the Major interjected, her gun aimed at King's head.

"Any fool would use such influences to their advantage," Seth grinned. "Even you, Kusangi."

Motoko hissed, maintaining her ground even as the hatred for her arch-nemesis swelled inside of her. She had to follow her orders and harm King. Even though the snake admitted to bending the government to his will, they still did not have authorization to—

"Major," it was Chief Aramaki connecting to their frequency. "I have good news."

"Ah," Vulcan droned in an annoying tone, wagging his finger as he hacked into their freq yet again, "long time, no see, Aramaki. How's Renoa?"

Aramaki's bearing was amazing. Despite his dislike for King, he managed to ignore him and relay the good news to his troops. "As of now, you now have authorization to bring Sethlans King down. Killing him is still out of the question…"

"But beating him senseless isn't," Batou finished for Aramaki as he tossed his gun aside and charging Sethlans and Shadow in a burst of rage. "I'm gonna have fun with this one!"

"Wait, Batou!" Motoko exclaimed, reaching out to grab and pull him back, but she was too late. Batou was charging them at full speed!

Standing directly in the cyborg's path, Sethlans didn't seem the least bit surprised by the news. Did he calculate this change of events into his plans as well?

Didn't matter at this point…tossing his coat to Shadow, the King of Sorcery unsheathed his blade from its scabbard.

"C'mon, baby!" he taunted as Shadow stepped far aside in a quick series of phantom motions. Creating a false image of himself as well, Sethlans appeared behind Batou.

Batou slid to a stop near the edge, twisted himself around, and scowled as the menace clapped his hands above his head, pacing around in a circle.

"Alright then!" he mocked. "That's how ya get a party started, ladies and gents!" Swiping his sword through the air a couple of times, he finally waved for Batou. "Okay, showdown, baby!"

"Cocky bastard!" Batou displayed speed as he came for him once more, throwing a powerful right hook the sorcerer's way.

"Not good enough!" Blocking the cyborg's hook with his sword, the impact knocked Batou back a little. Seth wasted no time in retaliating with a charge of his own, "My turn!"

_**Crash!**_The Major came in from above, bearing down her weight in one punch and creating a shockwave that knocked King back. Immediately capitalizing on King's folly, she gave him a taste of her vengeance, nearly knocking his eyes out of his sockets with a devastating kick to the face.

"_Grah!_" Catching himself on his toes and hand as he spun to the crumbling ground, he kept his sword out at his side, raising his head to give Motoko an arrogant, bloody smile. "Not bad," he complimented; his voice hoarse, eyes glassy. Rising up on wobbling legs, the sorcerer laughed. "I forgot how good your kicks feel."

Kusangi didn't falter in following through and giving Seth a chance to recover too much. Throwing a barrage of hooks and kicks his way, the sorcerer seemed to avoid them with ease. As if he saw each of them coming, he laughed as he bobbed, weaved, and ducked all of her attacks. "But I can't afford to take another hit like that for fun, so I'll show you what I'm made of. Starting…"

Grabbing her wrist with his free hand, he slapped it aside and thrust his sword into her abdomen! "Now!" he yelled, his voice rising in decibels as he stabbed her rapidly in the same area, his blows becoming a blur to the eye as he screamed, "_Raaaaave Drive!_"

A thunderous finishing stab blasted Motoko towards Batou. Overwhelmed by Vulcan's powerful sword technique, she began to wonder if she underestimated him. Sure he was able to match her blow for blow years ago, but now it didn't feel like they were on the same plateau. He was on a level beyond her capabilities!

No, she refused to believe that!

Swiping his sword through the air a few times, he sheathed it and motioned for her as Batou grabbed her near the roof's edge. "Anytime!" he taunted again.

The Major coughed and hacked up spit.

"You alright, Major?" Batou asked her, his arms wrapped around her deeply punctured abdomen.

Spitting out a bit of blood, she shook her head and sighed. "I'm fine."

"How many damn times did he stab you? I couldn't keep count!"

"Felt like a million. This is _not_ the same Sethlans we faced years ago. This one is far too skilled."

Sethlans overheard her words and snorted, shouldering his sword. "That's cold. What makes you think the 'me' years ago was a fake? Have you taken into account that I held back in order to allow my plans to progress?"

"Are you saying that you've planned _everything_ until this very day—this moment?"

If Sethlans King's smile meant anything, then her answer was a grim one. But this was impossible! There was no way this man thought that far ahead of time! Not even a super genius could predict that far into the future!

Staring into the eyes of Vulcan, Motoko and Batou wondered…What the hell was he?

_**Vulcan: To Be Continued…hahaha, not yet! It's just getting to the good part!**_

__"You give me too much credit," Vulcan snickered, pointing above his head for emphasis. "The Gods are the true masterminds. I only carry out their will."

"Again with these 'Gods'?" Motoko scoffed. "Who are these Gods you're talking about?"

Raising his hands high, he laughed at the Major's question. "The Gods that created you mortals, of course! And with them, I will bring this world into darkness in order to restore the light!"

"This guy is a lunatic," Batou growled, releasing his commanding officer and standing by her side as the maniac continued on his tirade.

"Of course you don't believe me, Batou. You and the rest of society look only to the ones placed above you as deities, but they themselves will be the ones to lead you astray."

"And I'm guessing you're our savior, then?" Batou shook his head, the growling in his throat escalating into a roar. "You can stop spouting the bullshit, King! It's not going to work!"

Seth narrowed his gaze on his two adversaries, dropping his arms and dusting off his black muscle t-shirt. "How disappointing, Batou. But if anyone can help you all see the truth, it'll be Jin."

"Jin?" Kusangi echoed. "As in Jin Phoebus?"

"That's right." Pointing dramatically in Motoko's direction, he continued, "Seek Phoebus out at his extravaganza tomorrow night, and ask him about the Gods you doubt!"

Just as the Major prepared to the respond, a loud whir from above drowned out the nightlife ambiance below. Gradually growing to deafening levels, the Major and Batou covered their ears as Vulcan stepped back towards Shadow.

"After all, the Gods are the reason you were given another chance at life, Major Kusangi!" the sorcerer bellowed over the whine of the vessel's engines. Backing up to the edge with the ultimate life form, he gave his old friends one last smile for old time's sake. "Forsaking them and refusing to believe will only doom you in the end!"

"Ishikawa!" Kusangi yelled, though she came in loud and clear over the cyber-frequency. "How did this airship slip by you?"

Ishikawa, the technologist member of Section Nine, drummed his fingers on his desk back at his office, stroking his grey beard as his computer attempted to get an energy signature lock on the unknown aircraft. "I have no idea, Major. I'm getting nothing on my end."

"Are you saying it went undetected on the radar?" Batou questioned, looking up at the colossal ship slowly descending from the clouds.

"Yeah, and the only way it could do that is with stealth generators."

"Stealth generators were outlawed decades ago," Motoko hissed. "So, I guess we can count the IGPF and Space Forces out of the equation."

Peeking out of the obscurity of the clouds, a large pair of cannons took aim on the city of Artemis. They weren't planning on attacking, were they? No, even if this airship was nothing more than a flying fortress, to fight the IGPF and Space Forces was suicide!

Even more so, that insignia painted across the side in red…no…that maniacal logo wasn't _his_ was it?

Shooting from unknown parts of the aircraft, a beam of light engulfed Vulcan and Shadow, evaporating them within its intense light.

"A tractor beam," the Major muttered as her eyes glued to the ominous emblem across the cannons. "So it _is_ him, after all."

And to him who watched the monstrosity of an airship descend from the black heavens, he felt moments of his life flash before his eyes as he gazed upon the emblem. "Blitz…it's him again."

Blitz nodded, stopping his mecha-jet and studying _it_ with his brother. "Yeah, he's the reason…," he shuddered, his grip around the control handles tightening until his knuckles turned white. "He's the reason why…"

Alice turned her head to the sky as well, instantly recognizing the sinister logo. Blade saw it too as he inched onto one knee for support, favoring his aching stomach.

"So," he said to himself, "you finally came back, huh?"

**To Be Continued…**


	19. Nemesis

_With eyes full of ambition, you look to that blue sky you long for._

_One hand clutched, you dream only of the stars._

_Oblivious to the troubles of the world outside of us, you turn to me._

_You smile and say without a hint of doubt._

"_I will travel beyond the bounds of this universe and find my place amongst the stars."_

_It is with this promise that you leave me to wallow in the darkness._

* * *

**The Final Frontier**

* * *

_Descending from the skies you loved ever so, I dream of the new journey that awaits me._

_Eyes shut from the world, tears escape me as the memories of the friends I have met flash before me._

_Through the good._

_Through the rough._

_Through the smiles._

_Through the tears._

_At the end of this path…_

_We meet again._

_Face to face once again near the threshold of light and darkness, I ask,_

"_Have you found your place amongst the stars?"_

_And you answer…_

* * *

**Episode 18: Nemesis**

**Artemis City—Inter-Galactic Police Force HQ**

It was nearing midnight in Artemis City and yet the offices of the IGPF headquarters never seemed busier. The pandemonium resulting from the operation at the stadium was anticipated, but even so they never expected their staff to be so overwhelmed. The two top priorities—Shadow and King—sent them into a diplomatic tizzy. The volunteers handling the phone calls were enduring an endless amount of ranting from diplomats, demanding to speak with the higher ups in the organization. Of course, they wouldn't dare bother the young General with such matters.

Thirty-five year old Roland Renoa sat in his office, watching the news of the incident at the stadium on TV.

"Officials say that the military organization affiliated with the Space Forces and IGPF were involved in the incident taking place on Highway 224. Witnesses depict a golden armored figure exchanging blows with an individual described to be dressed in all black."

Renoa rubbed his shaved chin, grunting at the video clips of Aniston battling the "individual".

"And this is just in…apparently, there was a large airship spotted above Artemis City in the aftermath of the incident. The airship was not registered in the ship logs according to the Mars Commerce, and was armed with heavy weaponry. Fortunately, the unknown vessel did not open fire on anyone. In all, there have been no reported injuries but costs in damage thus far have been calculated near twenty-thousand dollars."

Roland clicked the off button on his remote and slid it to the other end of his desk. Releasing a deep sigh, he dropped his head and drummed his fingers along the wood. "This is becoming a disaster," he growled under his breath. "How long do you plan on using us, Vulcan?"

"Sir," his female secretary, Natasha, said over his desk intercom, "your guest has arrived."

Renoa raised his head and pressed the button. "Send her in."

She had perfect timing, that woman. Renoa contacted her this morning and she comes in _now_? She probably had things tying her up, as always. He would know, after all. He worked with her during the war, though she wasn't one of his personal troops. No, she worked alone—a bounty hunter. She and Renoa only had one thing—or rather a criminal--in common that created their unstable alliance.

The door to his office slid open and she entered. Taking a moment to take her helmet off, her blonde hair rolled down her armor-plated back. Roland sat back in his seat and offered her a seat, greeting her.

"It's been quite some time, Samus Aran."

* * *

_**Roland Renoa**_

"_**An eye of light and an eye of dark, what does this man truly see?"**_

* * *

"The two of you _failed_?" the blue-eyed hooded form bellowed at Sion and Rouge. Standing well over seven feet, the Nexus Superior bashed his fist into the wall, scowling. "How could two Nexus Superiors fail in capturing a sorcerer and an android?"

"Boggles the mind, eh, Aisu?" Rouge grinned, crossing her legs as she sat on the table behind the demon.

"Mind your words, Rouge," Aisu growled, whipping his body around to meet the lower ranked agent with a ghastly glare. "You're speaking with a Nexus Pioneer, one of the founders of this organization!"

"I know, I know," Rogue waved him off. "We had complications with the USFA, ya know? You want us to start a war with them on their own soil? Or have you forgotten that we're on their turf now?"

Aisu grunted. "I realize that, woman. This is why you could have captured him before it grew that complicated."

"The IGPF was there too, just to let you know. Our hands were pretty tied up, but I suppose we could be like you and level the entire stadium. We're all demons here, right?"

Rouge's sarcasm worked Aisu's nerves, though she made a valid point. They couldn't afford to cause a scene on Mars of all places. It would be a disaster on the Neo-Americans' end. They were responsible for the Nexus organization overall, and a scandal like that would blemish their reputation even more. Besides, Nexus was a covert establishment, the American's hired assassins according to some analysts that knew about them though they knew very little about the true intents of the organization.

"Julia is fine with this, I'm sure," Rouge assured him.

"That's Lady Superior!" Aisu snapped as he smashed his large fist into the table Rouge sat on. "You may be a 'personal' pick of the Lady, but don't think you can show her such disrespect by calling her _that_."

"And just who is in charge of this operation here on Mars, Aisu, hmm?" Rouge giggled. "I'm pretty sure it isn't you, but here you are flipping out when the heat doesn't even come down on ya. If you ask me, you're overreacting."

"One more word, Rouge, and I promise that you'll--"

"Enough, Aisu-san."

Aisu's body snapped straight at the listless tone of the man entering the room. Turning to him, he shuddered, "R-r-r-ryuu-sama! I hope I didn't disturb your rest."

"Ryuu-sama?" Rouge laughed and shrugged. "Who's the one out of line now? It's the Omega Superior—the Twenty-Fourth Superior."

The Omega Superior stood at the door, black eyes locked on Aisu, Rouge, and the silent Sion coming beside Aisu to bow. His arms hidden within the long sleeves of his oversized crimson coat, the twenty-four year old Superior nodded for Sion to rise. "There is no need to show me any courtesies…," he said. "None of you are my twelve subordinates."

"But aside from the First Lady, you are the leader of Nexus," Aisu explained, daring to look up. "She is the Alpha, and you are the Omega."

"Let down your hood, Aisu-san."

The demon obeyed, slowly slipping his hood down, his bluish-white hair falling down to his waist in a ponytail. For such an intimidating voice, he had a dashing visage. He had the looks of a model…with small fangs and slightly pointed ears, of course.

"I noticed you don't have your collar up either, Dark," Rouge commented.

Ryuu looked back at Rouge.

Rouge smiled. "Still as fun to be with as ever, I see. At least you aren't bad on the eyes, right?"

"You're out of line, Rouge!" Aisu yelled as he rose.

"It's fine," Dark said. "Besides, Rouge and the Lady were the ones who brought me into this organization. I have sworn my loyalty to both the Lady and Rouge. It's why Madame Rouge is in charge of this operation and not me."

"Were you the one who suggested it?"

"That is correct, and you are here merely as a representative, Aisu-san."

Aisu sucked the back of his teeth, scowling back at Rouge. It wasn't as if he despised Rouge, but it was her nonchalant attitude that bothered him to no end. She showed no respect whatsoever, even to Lady Superior. She may have known her before Nexus was formed, but did that give her the right to act like that?

"Do you have a problem with my decision, Aisu-san?"

Even a glance of Dark's eyes terrified Aisu. Unlike the others, Aisu was one of the few who witnessed the powers hidden behind Dark's eyes. He shook his head. "No, Ryuu-sama."

Dark's gaze switched back to Rouge. "Madame, do you plan on pursuing Project Shadow?"

Rouge sighed, adjusting the strap on the small of her back to loosen the top squeezing her breasts. "Let Shadow and Vulcan dangle for a little while. Everyone is finding a use for Vulcan, and the way I see it…allowing those two to find the emeralds for us is our way of milking his worth."

"I see."

"Meanwhile, Dark," Rouge crossed her legs, "Lord Jin Phoebus' party is tomorrow. The Americans want four agents to go. Wanna tag along?"

Dark noticed her grin and knew the meaning behind it. Alas, "I'm sorry, Madame. For this, I'll have to refuse."

Rouge leaned forward, propping her elbow on her thigh and resting her chin on her fist. "You still have a phobia of being around people?" She snickered and sighed. "Understandable. Well, how about you, Sion?"

"I have a prior engagement," he told her bluntly.

"Oh c'mon! I'm beginning to think I'm ugly with all of these turn-downs."

"Take Vivian," Aisu spoke up.

"Foxy? That's a good idea." She jumped down, crossing her arms below her breasts. "That's one down and two more to go."

"Vivian is no doubt with that fool."

Rouge knew exactly who Aisu was referring to. She laughed at the thought of _him_ being at such a sophisticated soiree. "One more..."

"The Americans can settle for three," Aisu stated. "Any more cutting of Superior manning, and--"

"That is not your decision to make, Aisu-san," Dark cut in brusquely. "Madame Rouge will decide."

Rouge smiled at Dark. "Dark, actually, I have great idea."

* * *

_**Rouge**_

"_**The beauty of the Nexus organization…"**_

* * *

"Despite the technical difficulties throughout tonight's event, we are proud to announce the winners of the first event of the EX-Games. He came in with a strong finish down the final straightaway, leaving his competition in the dust! Representing the Blitzkrieg Bombers, the living thunderbolt—Serge Blitzkrieg!"

Jumping up to the top of the podium, a round of applause and cheers awaited Blitzkrieg. He put on a big grin as he took the large trophy from one of the racer girls beside him.

"Congratulations, Serge!" she giggled, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Serge shook away the blush staining his cheeks and held the golden trophy high above his head to the crowd. A fanfare of triumph blared over the loudspeakers placed around Athena Stadium.

"That kid is certainly something," one of the commentators said.

"Yeah," his colleague added, "even though his brothers were caught in the disturbance on Highway 224, he was able to keep his cool and speed through the rest of the race around the city!"

"I have a feeling they're going to be a force to be reckoned with in the later events, especially if Serge keeps this streak up!"

"Serge came through, huh?" Blitz said as he watched from television screen posted near the stadium entrance. "Thanks to my technology, of course."

"C'mon, Blitz," Maurice shrugged, "you know Serge's got skills."

Blitz saw Serge waving his trophy around as he danced on the podium. He never seemed to feel more alive than when they were involved in competitions such as these, Serge especially. It always took their minds off reality, even if it were for a little while.

Speaking of reality…

"Hey, your name is Blade, right?" Maurice asked the person standing behind him, blank expression and all.

Blade snorted. "Yeah, and what of it?"

"Do you know who that was inside of that airship we saw earlier?"

"Yeah."

Just as Maurice thought! "Can you tell me who?"

"Heh! Not out here I'm not!"

"Too many ears?"

"Damn right. Now how about we get that brother of yours and get out of here? I don't like being out here during the night?"

"So, you've managed to find the other two?" a woman emerging from the corridor leading to the stadium wondered, her derisive tone familiar to Blade's ears. "Knowing you, I thought it was a wild goose chase."

"Already with your crap, Maelstrom?" Blade hissed, pushing Maurice and Blitz aside to meet the sorceress face-to-face.

Maelstrom smirked. "What's with you holding your stomach? Judging by your bruises, you got your ass handed to you."

Blade grunted, resisting the urge of screaming in the woman's face in public. "Shut it, woman. Unlike you, I don't hide from my enemies. That's how I roll."

Maelstrom paused, averting her gaze to the pebbles near the wall. "…I saw Vulcan."

"Vulcan?" he echoed, crossing his arms whilst scratching his chin. "So, he's still around."

"I don't feel like talking about what happened…at least not with you."

"Like I care to know!" Blade cackled. "You and your ex-fiancée can go commit a lover's suicide for all I care!"

"This guy is a real sadist," Blitz commented in a monotone, sharing a harsh look with Maurice. "The girl is cute, but she seems to have a temper too."

Maurice shared the same outlook. "Don't they all?"

Maelstrom shoved Blade out of her way, ignoring his cursing as she took a step forward towards them. The two Blitzkrieg brothers maintained their stern expressions when she leaned forward. "So these are really the guys Jin wants?"

"I don't know," Blade barked, throwing a hand up before slipping it in his coat pocket. "I can't see what he sees, remember? I'm not as perceptive in reading one's aura like him."

The sorceress rolled her eyes as she muttered, "No need to remind me."

That struck a nerve. "You got something to say, Sorceress?" Blade growled, grabbing Maelstrom by the shoulder and forcing her to face him.

_**Smack!**_

Blade's cheek burned as hot as the flames of fury in Maelstrom's eyes. Favoring his stomach and face, the boy took a step back, eyes wide to the fact that she actually slapped the taste out of his mouth.

"Touch me again like that and you'll be spitting out more than spit, punk!" she snarled.

Maurice and Blitz took a step back as well, hands held up as the sorceress turned back to them.

"I'm not here to hurt you two," she told them, the fire in her eyes quieting into simple flickers. "We're from the World Heroes organization, one of the three groups formed to create the government established here on Mars and other planets associated with the Colonies."

"R-r-right," Blitz drawled. "And what does a bunch of government agents want with us? Our passports are good."

"That's not it. The World Heroes aren't the direct law of this planet. We handle…_different _affairs."

"Yeah, well unless you've got something on us, we're not talking to ya, so…"

Just as Maurice and Blitz walked past Maelstrom, she smiled and asked, "Don't you want to find out who that guy in the airship was?"

And just like that, they stopped. Blitz looked over his shoulder and saw Maelstrom glancing over hers, her smile and words piquing his budding curiosity.

"I guarantee you that our leader, Jin, will know who he is. He is one of our _affairs_, you know?"

"We're not out just for blood," Maurice added, turning to Maelstrom. "It's just a chapter of our life that we need closed."

"And we can help you close that said chapter. Jin can show you the light."

"The light?"

"The light that will lead you to what you're looking for," Blade answered, rubbing his cheek still. "If anyone can help you, it's my dad."

"Sounds a little too good to be true, if you ask me," Blitz sighed, shaking his head. He looked up to Maurice. "What do you think?"

Maurice studied Maelstrom, his eyes unconsciously lingering to her lower portions.

"I don't know. Something says that I should trust them."

"Seriously?" Blitz exclaimed, turning to point an accusing finger the sorceress' way. "I'm thinking that these guys are the reason why everyone is after you! What the hell is this planet's problem anyway? We didn't come out here to be harassed, you know?"

Sonic placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "Blitz, don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure if we go with these guys that they'll explain everything."

"You seriously trust them just like that?"

"I'm just saying we should give them a chance."

Blitz dropped and shook his head. It was no use trying to change Maurice's mind once it was made up. He sighed and surrendered, "Fine, whatever you wanna do, I'm down."

"Haha, thanks, Blitz!" Maurice slapped him on the shoulder.

"Doesn't mean I'm letting my guard down, though…," his eyes veered in Blade's direction, remnants of Blade's fight with that woman in armor floating in his mind.

Maelstrom turned to them, sharing Maurice's smile. "I don't expect you to. I'm just here to bring you back to Jin. Now, how about we go grab your brother and head back?"

"You guys got any food back at your base?" Maurice queried, following Maelstrom and the others down the entrance corridor.

"Free food and a place to sleep, of course."

"Sounds like a good deal to me."

"Bro," Blitz spoke up with shakes of his head, "I think that's the only reason why you agreed to this."

* * *

"I sent you the message this morning. I surmise you've been busy?"

"I've been following his trail from the last planet he was on. It seemed suspect, but I followed a tip leading me to the Earth's Moon Colony."

"Perhaps a hideout? That colony was abandoned after the war according to the treaty."

The bounty hunter, Samus Aran, replayed the events in Ganymede in her mind as she informed General Renoa. "No doubt, I found him there. The man I've been searching for…one of the last Space Pirate Lords…"

Just thinking about his irksomegrin made her blood boil. It was because of him…

"Sinbad Raine," Roland finished for her, cupping his hands and leaning forward. "Perhaps that was _his_ airship that was on the news just now."

"Sinbad was here?" Samus yelped. "That's impossible. I saw his ship headed for Earth."

"Is that so? Then…whose ship was that then?"

"His Dreadnought passed through the American checkpoints. Does this mean that they're harboring him now? A Space Pirate…"

"A Dreadnought?" Roland echoed with a slight gasp. "You would actually classify it as a Dreadnought?"

Samus nodded. "The size and weaponry on that ship can't be measured with the flimsy classification system here on Mars."

"And he passed American checkpoints, you say? Nowadays, I believe the Americans have lost all sense of justice. The few willing to fight for a better tomorrow are overshadowed by those seeking vengeance."

"Even so, harboring scum like Sinbad is unforgivable!" Samus snapped back. "That man will turn on them in an instant!"

"So, what happened on the Moon Colony?"

* * *

"Retinal scan complete. Individual is authorized for entry."

Completing the usual security routines to entering the conference room, he stepped through the threshold into the dimly lit room. A group of individuals sat at the round table in the center as if awaiting his return. Sitting amongst them, the woman in black tossed him a card and smiled as he approached the table of eleven.

"Welcome back," she greeted him, "how was your trip, Superior Raine?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, the rugged Space Pirate Lord chuckled at her question. "It's been fun. I met an old friend along the way back."

_**To Be Continued…**_


	20. Superhuman

"He's been waiting for you, King."

Vulcan stepped outside onto the airship's deck with a grin as he heard that name. Greeted by a figure wrapped in a cape of lavender, Vulcan approached him. "With that save, I got no doubt he has. He can rest easy though. I found him."

Carrying an oversized blade draped in old bandages on his shoulder, Vulcan's mysterious ally kept his eye on the sorcerer as he strolled past him to the edge of the deck. He took in the rush of cold air, the near lack of oxygen exhilarating him somehow as if traveling near the edge of space was what he lived for.

"Project Shadow," uttered the man in violet, "he's called the ultimate life form, right?"

"Yeah, another pawn created only to serve these greedy humans in their wars."

"But you live to protect them," he countered, turning to him.

Vulcan laughed with shakes of his head. "Yeah, sad, right?"

"How long do you plan to play his game?"

"I should be asking you the same thing." Vulcan whipped himself around, facing him with a stern glare. "You can still go back…to her."

The spike-haired blonde bowed his head. "Not yet. Not until I bring him back."

"You still think he's alive, huh?"

"He was your friend, too, wasn't he?" he snapped at Vulcan.

Vulcan cringed at the scolding tone in his voice, his eyes wandering.

"To bring the darkness in order to extinguish it…that's your reason…your reason for betraying our friends."

"I already told you, I didn't betray them."

"What do you call using all of us? We were pawns in your plans."

"How many times are you gonna bring this up?" Vulcan crossed his arms and snorted. The undeniable truth forced him to avert eyes with the blue-eyed blonde. "What's done is done."

"But yet…," he turned away, slowly looking to the stars for hope, "I need to know."

"He's dead!"

"To you?" the blonde shouted back, the veil covering part of his face falling and whipping in the wind. There was an uneasy silence, but the man sought to break it, scoffing softly. "Do you plan to use Shadow…just as you used him?"

"Whatever," Vulcan huffed, sauntering past him. He paused in his stride, however, beside his bitter colleague. Clutching his silver cross pendant, he sighed. "He was my friend, too, just like you. I regret…I regret the decisions I made, but…if he's still out there, I'll find him."

He refused to meet Vulcan's gaze, only looking forward towards his own ambitions. "Save your empty promises. They won't work on me a second time."

"It's like that, huh?" Vulcan shook his head, but walked away. "Fine," he said to himself, tucking his pendant inside of his shirt. "Then this man is our ticket to achieving both of our goals."

He heard Vulcan go through the entrance, the door sliding shut behind him. He refused to believe Vulcan a second time. He went on, preaching as if he were a savior when he was actually the devil himself.

"You just don't see it yet…the darkness is strongest around you, King."

That aura slinking behind him…Vulcan wouldn't realize it until it was too late, would he?

* * *

_With eyes full of ambition, you look to that blue sky you long for._

_One hand clutched, you dream only of the stars._

_Oblivious to the troubles of the world outside of us, you turn to me._

_You smile and say without a hint of doubt._

"_I will travel beyond the bounds of this universe and find my place amongst the stars."_

_It is with this promise that you leave me to wallow in the darkness._

* * *

**The Final Frontier**

* * *

_Descending from the skies you loved ever so, I dream of the new journey that awaits me._

_Eyes shut from the world, tears escape me as the memories of the friends I have met flash before me._

_Through the good._

_Through the rough._

_Through the smiles._

_Through the tears._

_At the end of this path…_

_We meet again._

_Face to face once again near the threshold of light and darkness, I ask,_

"_Have you found your place amongst the stars?"_

_And you answer…_

* * *

**Episode 19: Superhuman**

* * *

"So, can you tell me what exactly all the noise was back there?" Serge slouched in his seat, leaning against his trophy whilst digging in his ear. "If it weren't for me, we would have lost that race, ya know?"

"You're going to keep rubbing that fact in, Serge?" Blitz moaned, doubled over as he favored his throbbing forehead. "Geez, we get it already."

"Tcch," Serge snapped his head Maelstrom's way. "You said you're name is Maelstrom, right? I've heard stories about you from the locals in Artemis City. You caused a revolt here not too long ago and disappeared a few months, right?"

Sitting across from the Blitzkrieg brothers on the Carrier Craft with Blade, the sorceress decided to satisfy the brothers' curiosity. "My leader, Jin, has kept my existence under wraps from the public. I admit that I've done despicable things in the past, but I believe by joining the World Heroes will help make a better tomorrow for the next generation."

"Or to clear your conscience?"

"That too," Maelstrom replied without faltering, much to Serge's astonishment. "Did you think I would hesitate in being selfish? I'm not like the rest of humanity. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm egocentric. At the end of the day, I'm still satisfying myself."

Serge chuckled, "What a woman. You're really straightforward."

"Don't get your hopes up," she broke it to him, a tone of rudeness in her voice. "I'm not interested in boys like you."

Serge scoffed as Maurice laughed. "Shut up, Maurice! It's not like she likes _you_."

"Hahaha, it's all good." Maurice settled himself down before continuing. "I just really think we can get an adventure out of all of this by hanging out with these guys."

The golden-haired Blitzkrieg scowled. "Is that all you care about?"

A shake of Maurice's head made Serge wonder. "No, I'm with ya'll on finding that guy too."

"You guys saw the same airship that came to our island when we were young, right? It has to be him!"

"Revenge and adventure, huh?" Blade asked, standing up to stretch. Yawning and flailing his arms, he paced around the door to the automated cockpit. "You guys have no idea…"

"What's that?"

Blade smirked, hunching his shoulders. "It's nothing really."

"So your leader," Maurice scratched the back of his ear, "has he been spying on us or something? How does he know 'bout us?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Serge added.

"Well, we are a third of the acting government," Maelstrom answered with a flick of her hair, crossing her legs. "South Island is our responsibility thanks to the Colonization Act, and so your information is at Jin's fingertips."

"The government keeps us under surveillance like animals in a zoo," Serge clenched his fists, snarling as the thought of his private life exposed. "I can't stand it!"

"Better than what the Americans planned for you, I say. They wanted to I.D. their citizens."

"Either way, the common man can't win. We're always going to be toys for you government suits to play with."

"Hey!" Blade burst out. "Don't compare us with the rest of those rats! I'm nothing like them, underst--"

"Blade," Maelstrom tilted her head Phoebus' way. "Shut up."

"Fuck you, bitch! I take offense to that statement."

"I said _shut up_," her tone grew darker, her blue eye displaying a hint of callousness.

Blade shuddered slightly, his body quivering a little before turning away. The look in Maelstrom's eye sent chills down his spine. It felt as though he were staring at the Maelstrom from the Revolution—the Queen.

She focused on the Blitzkrieg brothers once again, maintaining that air of indifference. The brothers felt the chill in the air, as well. This woman was not to be taken lightly, _ever_. "Whether you want to believe it or not, no one but the Gods is immune to being used as mere tools. We are all pawns in the grand scale of things in a game called Life. Those who wish to become players are nothing but fools. The sooner you learn to accept this, the better off you'll be. Refusing to cope with reality will only lead you down a path of darkness."

"That can't be true," Maurice uttered.

Maelstrom grunted.

"True, no one is above the Gods, but not even they can control the path of the pawn." He shook his head, balling his fists. "No, I know we all have a choice in the outcome. We choose our actions of our own free will, and face the consequences."

"What're you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm making my own road," he pointed to himself, wearing a smile of confidence that surprised Blade and Maelstrom. "A pawn has no control in his actions, but _I _chose to come with you guys. I could have easily said no, but here I am. As far as I'm concerned, I'm a Player surviving this game we call Life, and I don't plan on it being Game Over just yet…not until I find what I'm looking for."

"And just what are you looking for?"

His grin grew bigger, sticking his chest out proudly as he answered, "My place amongst the stars!"

Maelstrom gasped. Maurice's words, his enthusiasm…it reminded her so much of…

_"I'm going to find my place amongst the stars, Maelstrom! Just you wait and see!"_

Yeah, if she didn't know any better, she would have thought Maurice was _his_ brother. So, they were both searching for a place in the stars? Did shining in the sky truly mean that much to them? She smiled after staring at the confident Blitzkrieg for a few moments, a chuckle escaping her. Maybe it did matter; enough to risk one's life over apparently.

"So, you're an idiot just like him," she said to herself.

"What's that?" Maurice blinked, leaning forward.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

_'Another one,'_ she thought. _'You're an interesting one, Maurice Blitzkrieg.'_

* * *

_**Maurice Blitzkrieg**_

"_**To find his place amongst the stars, he won't stop until he reaches the top."**_

* * *

"So, that's what he's after?" Roland pondered aloud as Samus concluded her story. A rub of his chin and he added, "To think those two are related..."

"He has no memory of Sinbad, at all?" Samus asked.

Renoa shook his head. "No. They abandoned him at a young age."

"All because he isn't a pure blood…that's just cruel."

"Regardless," Renoa slouched in his chair and continued clicking his pen repeatedly, "we cannot allow him to get a hold of him. A power like that is meant to remain a myth."

"I couldn't believe it myself. A boy like that with that much power...the human race has evolved."

"Though they don't realize it."

"It's for the best, I'm sure," Samus replied before grunting. She pinned Renoa with an irritated look. "Stop clicking that pen so much. It's annoying."

Roland paused for a moment before sliding his pen back on his desk. "In any case, I will keep a closer eye on him for now, but Samus."

Emerging from his seat, he emphasized his plea to the bounty hunter, his black eye resonating with his white eye in the inviting moonlight filtering through the window. "Stop Sinbad before he gets to us. The IGPF is no match against Nexus."

"Are they really that strong of an organization?" Samus queried as she grabbed her helmet from the countertop.

Roland's grim expression said it all.

Samus understood the volumes spoken within the silence. Sliding her helmet over her head, it clamped onto the rest of her orange armor. Her voice emitter distorted her voice slightly. "I'll take care of Sinbad for you, but the rest of Nexus is your problem."

"Fair enough, Samus. It was good talking to you again."

Through her helmet's visors, she saw the sincerity in Roland's eyes. The Renoa from long ago flashed through her mind. The one who pulled her from the clutches of Death was standing in front of her.

And yet, it wasn't truly him, was it? No, the Renoa standing before her now was the reason why she refused to join his Special Forces. It was why she decided to become a bounty hunter.

"There's no point in going back to the old days, Renoa. Only look towards the future…"

He nodded. "I know. I'm looking towards the next generation. That's my goal as well as Lord Phoebus'."

"The next generation…let's not give them the burdens we carry, Roland."

"Yes."

His knuckles turned white at the thought, his teeth grinding inside of his pursed lips. _'That is something I will _never _allow.'_

* * *

"Lady Maelstrom, we will be arriving shortly," the driver in the cockpit informed her via the intercom in the passenger housing.

Maelstrom and Blade already felt the sudden pull as the ship made a sharp rise in altitude. It surprised the Blitzkrieg brothers as it turned into the lower bay.

"You think he could ease up a little bit?" Serge complained, wrapping his legs and body around the rails as he clung on for dear life. "Riding ships isn't an amusement ride to me."

Maurice found himself pressed against the wall. "It's not that bad."

And Blitz hiding under the bench. "Easy for you to say."

"You guys live for high-speed thrills, and _this_ scares you?" Maelstrom yelled as she rose from her seat and planted her hands on her hips.

"We never rode an airship except for the trip to Artemis City," Blitz explained. "So excuse us if we're feeling a bit shaky 'bout all this."

Maelstrom drew a deep sigh, fighting the urge to utter a curse word aloud. "You three are impossible."

The hull of the ship hissed, the force of gravity finally centering as they made their stop. The rear hatch door opened and they made their exit into the well-lit garage. Blitz noticed the abundance of small airships, the varieties from luxury to sport impressing the teenager. Maelstrom wasted little time leading them to the cargo elevator.

"I don't know if he's still up or not," Maelstrom said aloud as she pressed the 'Up' arrow on the side.

"You know my dad," Blade commented, a blasé tone in his voice. "He's probably reading one of his favorite novels while chatting with one of his 'friends'."

Maelstrom turned around and grilled the younger Phoebus with an icy stare. Blade knew such talk pushed the sorceress' buttons, but he personally didn't care. Any to piss her off was fine in his book.

Serge decided to be the one to blurt out the question, "What's with the glares? You two hate each other or something? You're supposed to be on the same team, right?"

Maelstrom folded her arms and snorted, pointing rudely to Blade with a dull expression. "I didn't choose to be with him. He just happens to come along everywhere I go."

"Whatever, bitch," Blade sneered.

And there went the sparks yet again. "You wanna start something?"

"What the hell? You started it!"

Maelstrom turned her gaze away from the fuming bird boy to Maurice, who seemed to be off in his own world—again. What he said earlier…

_"I'm making my own road…my place in the stars!"_

It was uncanny how his enthusiasm brought about memories of Vulcan, and yet those memories calmed her. He didn't share his god forsaken arrogance, fortunately, but she would say he was Vulcan in humanoid form. He didn't look as good as him, but something about him…

_'I think I feel the same aura Jin felt,'_ she thought, hearing the ding from the elevator. _'This guy has potential, but still what do you hope to accomplish Jin? The war is over. Sure, we still have to maintain peace, but we can leave that to the USFA and IGPF. I'd hate to say it, but we're more of show than anything else.'_

"Which is why I'm going to ready ourselves for the storm ahead, Maelstrom."

Maelstrom jumped at that voice. She turned to Jin standing in the elevator, his smile inviting everyone inside. "You read my mind," she murmured as she found a place in the elevator next to Jin.

Jin chuckled, "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

"So you're Jin?" Serge prodded, examining him from head-to-toe as if some specimen. "I was expecting some old man, but we get a pretty boy model."

Jin smiled at Serge. "I'm sorry if I fail to meet your expectations."

"Oh no, no, no." Serge shook his head and hands. "It's cool, but you mind telling us what exactly you want with us?"

"Ah yes. I can tell you all are anxious to know what exactly you're doing at our headquarters after midnight."

"Not to mention hungry," Maurice added, favoring his stomach to suppress the growling beast.

Maurice…Jin's smirk and narrowing gaze focused on the green-eyed wonder before him. "Ah, yes, Maurice Blitzkrieg. Fate has finally brought you to me."

"You call it Fate, I call it food."

"Hah, you may not realize it now, but by the time I'm finished with you, you'll be more than an average human thirsty for speed."

"Speaking of thirsty, you got anything sweet to drink too?"

"Would you take your mind off of food?" Blade growled, leaning against the wall, hands pocketed in his pants.

"Well, I haven't eaten a bite since we got on the plane this morning." Maurice growled lowly. "So, cut me a little slack."

"What exactly do you mean that he'll be more than an average human once you're done with him?" Blitz questioned Jin.

Jin flicked locks of his white hair and grinned. "What I mean to say is that he possesses the traits of a Superhuman."

"A _superhuman_?" the Blitzkrieg brothers exclaimed in unison, backing Jin into a corner with eager eyes.

"Tell me you're kidding!" Blitz stammered. "A superhuman! That's something you only hear about in comics!"

"Yeah and why does Maurice get to be the only Superhuman?" Serge whined, dropping his head in despair.

Jin giggled. "You have superhuman traits as well, Drake."

Serge jumped back, his golden eyes lit up with glee from that bit of news. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"But wait, Dad," Blade interrupted, "you just wanted us to bring you Maurice. You never mentioned his brothers."

"Well, it was obvious they would follow, son."

Blade huffed. "Planning ahead, as usual."

Jin planted a fist on his hip, his grin widening slightly. "All of you, Maelstrom, Blade, Blitz, Serge, and you…Sonic…you all are my World Heroes."

"Sonic?" Maurice echoed. "The name is Maurice."

Jin snickered and winked, "Oh, but you planned on naming yourself after the old gaming mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, right?"

Maurice blinked twice, dumbfounded by how Jin was able to read his thoughts. "Yeah, but…I haven't said anything about it to anyone except to Blitz and Serge."

"Well, I have my ways of knowing these things, Sonic Blitzkrieg."

One minute spent with the leader of the World Heroes by Blitz's watch and already he scared him and his brothers. This wasn't going to end well.

Not well at all.

* * *

The sorcerer clad in black and white appeared in the spotlight snapping on inside of the large room. "I trust you'll keep your end of the bargain. I've brought you Shadow, after all."

Sitting the darkness upon his floating capsule, he smiled; his chubby body slouched back as he planted his cheek on his fist. "I'd be a terrible sport if I didn't fulfill my part of the deal, King."

"Good, so how soon can you map out the locations of my emeralds?"

The floating mastermind chuckled. "You must understand, the emeralds are no longer here in this world we reside in."

"Are you saying when they scattered the Chaos Emeralds, they actually separated them worlds apart?" Vulcan gasped.

"If they were still in this universe, I would have found them by now. I'll need more time…in the meantime, however--"

"Forget it, Doctor!" Vulcan snapped with a swipe and clutch of his fist. "I'm not helping you out until I know where the remaining emeralds are!"

"Oh? Well, that's too bad because I was just about to tell you about someone who can help you in your search."

Vulcan grunted. "Really now?" he drawled, relaxing a little. "And what of Shadow?"

"Shadow is best in your capable hands until the time is right. Until I can pinpoint the nearest Chaos Emerald, I will leave it to you, King Vulcan."

As if on cue, the figure dressed in a black and red duster came to him out of the obscurity. Shadow met Vulcan's eyes for but a second before looking away.

"All right then. I suppose I'll have some fun then." Vulcan glanced over his shoulder. "What about _him_?"

"Bring him along for the ride."

Vulcan turned away from the mysterious doctor, Shadow following in suit as he made a beeline for the door. "Fine, I guess we'll have a reunion then."

Waiting for him on the other end of the door, the man in mauve picked his sword from the wall and carried it on his shoulder, allowing the King to lead the way. To where was as good of a guess as anybody's.

However, the darkness Vulcan sought to stamp out lingered in their wake.

* * *

__

_**To Be Continued…**_


	21. Phantasms

**Episode 20: Phantasms**

Clouds of ghastly black brewed over the USFA headquarters as the overnight storm reported earlier that afternoon finally appeared. Streaks of white flashed through the pitch-black skies, the rumbling of a demon echoing. Rain came pouring quickly, winds testing the equilibrium of the trees swaying outside of the base.

Her hand inching away from the window, Tifa Lockhart watched the storm release its rage on the outside world, her brown eyes focused on the street life outside of the iron walls. She had been that way ever since her Section Chief was killed in action—though she refused to believe the reports. She refused to come to grip with reality and accept both Cloud and Zack's deaths. And to think that Sethlans was still alive after all of it…if that weasel of a man was still breathing, then there was still hope for Cloud and Zack, right?

Sethlans…Tifa's blood boiled whenever she imagined his menacing expression. To her, he was just as evil as Sephiroth and thank the Gods Sephiroth met his demise. She only wished Sethlans suffered the same fate. After betraying all of them two years ago, and for what? What was he after? Neither Cid nor Matron Edea wanted to explain to the Parliament what King's true intentions were. They allowed him to join their organization, but did they know from the start that he would later betray them?

He was a sorcerer just like Edea. Perhaps that was a clue in the mystery. Now that Tifa thought about it, Edea and Seth always did…

"Chief Lockhart!" exclaimed a solider entering her small dojo. "Captain Almasy has come back! And he says he saw Sethlans King!"

Tifa's eyes lit up in shock. She snapped her head to her troop. "He did?"

Sethlans King…she was the one person she could never forgive for killing Zack and Cloud.

"You actually saw him?" Zell Dincht of Sector Gamma shouted at Seifer. "And you didn't pound him into oblivion? Man, for someone who talks big, you can't seem to deliver!"

Fuijin stood in front of a lounging Seifer and pushed Zell back. "Enough!" she snapped.

Zell growled, but—

"Fuijin has the right idea, Zell," Quistis Trepe of Delta Sector intervened, sitting across the room with Captain Squall. "Calm down. Seifer had more than King to deal with."

"That's right."

Coming into the lounge area was Charlie Sector's new Chief, Irvine Kinneas, carrying his old sawed-off shotgun on his shoulder as usual. The cowboy smiled. "Not only was Sethlans there, but the Queen was there as well as her 'knight'."

Seifer snorted, patting the bleeding bandages wrapped around his forehead. "You read the report? Then you should know that the Sorceress wouldn't have stood a chance if that guy hadn't come along."

"Maybe," Quistis muttered.

"There is no maybe! I definitely would have taken her!"

"She isn't our enemy," Tifa reminded Seifer as she came into the room, walking with a purpose, her eyes brimming with hatred unlike her to possess. But for _him_, it was possible.

His visage flashed through her mind, and her gloved fists tightened. "Sethlans King is…we have to bring him to justice for what he did to Zack and Cloud."

"Tifa," Quistis rose from her seat and approached her, "are you alright? You're not sounding like yourself."

Lockhart shook her head. "I'm fine. I'm just tired of us doing nothing against that vigilante. Just because he was chosen by General Renoa doesn't make him untouchable. He's only using the government's influence in order to commit crimes. What is it about him that makes him immune to punishment?"

"Hey, Squall," Zell turned to him, an eyebrow raised at his friend's deep silence. "What do you think about all of this?"

Arms crossed, Squall finally opened his eyes and raised his head. His answer was simple, as always. "When we find King, we'll get the answers we're looking for."

"Sweet and to the point," Irvine pointed his shotgun at Squall and grinned. "I always liked that about you, Squall."

Seifer snorted at the praise his rival received, "But can you take him on? If Sethlans was able to kill both Cloud and Zack--"

"Don't say that!" Tifa snapped, much to everyone's surprise. Her eyes burned with ire. "There's no way that punk could take out Zack and Cloud!"

But Seifer only hunched his shoulders. "Maybe so, but he's the sole survivor of that incident back at that Mako factory."

Tifa turned away. She couldn't bear to hear Seifer's argument any longer. "Believe what you want to believe."

Breaking into the heated debate, a voice over the intercoms announced, "Attention in HQ! Attention in HQ! We have unauthorized individuals in the facility! Repeat: There are unauthorized individuals in the facility! Utilize extreme caution and apprehend them!"

"Be advised! You are permitted to use extreme force against these individuals! Repeat: Deadly force is authorized!"

"I don't believe this!" Vulcan complained as they ran down the corridor. "We take it easy on these guys and now they want to go all-out!"

Gliding effortlessly on his air skates, Shadow sped in front of Vulcan and navigated the sharp left turn towards the connecting bridge. "There's no time to waste! We'll match their level of force with our own!"

"No!" Vulcan growled, panting as he and his cloaked associate in purple struggled to keep up with the ultimate life form. "I'm in charge and I say that we don't kill any of them!"

Shadow grunted. "Why do you show these humans mercy? It's obvious that they don't show the same feelings as you."

"Even so, I have to make things right by talking to Cid and Edea. It's the only shot we've got of finding our guy!"

"The one that can locate the Chaos Emeralds?" the caped individual inquired. "Matron Edea knows?"

Vulcan nodded. "If anyone can help us, it's Edea. That lady has been around just as long as my parents, and even though she isn't a Deus, she can still be a big help to us!"

"Hmmph!" was all Shadow said as he skated on ahead, a burst of black wind repelling the gunfire and knocking all obstacles back to the walls. "Pathetic humans!" he snarled as he made his way through the winding bridge.

Vulcan's eyes glanced from his left to his right, seeing the carnage of unconscious soldiers knocked away by Shadow's pure speed. "Talk about overdoing it!" he complained, his breath failing him as he started to slow down. "This guy is just too fast! I-I-I can't keep up!"

The caped male sighed. "Vulcan…"

"What is it, dude?"

"Have you forgotten that you can fly?"

Vulcan blinked a couple of times, absorbing what his partner just told him. He looked down at his aching feet, lifting them off the ground and tilting his body parallel to the ground. Shouldering his weapon, he laughed and shook his head. "Oh yeah, I totally forgot that I could fly!"

The man drew yet another sigh. Regardless of the reputation Vulcan had gained over the years, he was still the same clueless young man that join the Parliament with Zack years ago, wasn't he? Then again, it seemed as though he had a split-personality—one that saw the world for what it really was, and another that didn't have any cares. It was weird, but it suited him. Only Vulcan could have such a weird personality.

It was a shame the darkness he sought to extinguish loomed over him at every turn, and no matter how many times he was warned he refused to listen.

"Shadow, break through!" Vulcan shouted down the bridge, flying high and pointing straight ahead towards the sealed iron door guarding by USFA soldiers.

As if Shadow needed to be told _that_. "Hmmph."

"Shadow?" one of the guards stammered. "You mean the project that escaped the other day?"

"I heard he decimated the entire factory he was imprisoned in with ease!" another answered. "How are we supposed to stand up against that kind of power?"

"You can't," he whispered, unveiling the green emerald from inside his belt's accessory pocket. Slowly raising it up, he uttered the words, "Chaos Contro--"

"No good!"

_**Smash!**_ An explosion of power crumbling the tiled floors below stopped Shadow dead in his tracks. A cloud of debris masked the entity behind the surprise attack as Vulcan and the young man in purple regrouped with Shadow.

"Now that's power," Vulcan gasped, landing beside Shadow and sheathing his sword. "It's a good thing you weren't on the wrong end of that, Shadow."

Shadow said nothing, only slipping the emerald back into belt's pocket.

Suddenly!

"Vulcan!" the caped man shouted. "She's coming!"

Vulcan jumped in surprise and snapped straight forward, but it was too late!

"_Sethlans_!" exclaiming his name from the top of her lungs, her punch echoed as loud as her voice, creating a shockwave of power that managed to push even Shadow back.

A powerful straight to Vulcan's face sent him flying, blood gushing from his nose as he spun far back. The force of wind that flew past the blonde nearly knocked him back on his butt. Never before did he feel such a force concentrated into one hit before in his lifetime. It was no surprise that Vulcan was unconscious. Hell, he would be amazed if he was still alive after that hit.

But then again…only one person he knew in his life could pack such a ferocious punch and she was standing before him, her eyes burning with a passion he never seen in her before. Shadow stood between the two…he seemed dead-set on blocking her path towards the lifeless Vulcan.

"Move—_now_!" she demanded, cocking her bloody gloved hand back as she prepared to give Shadow the same dose of pain she inflicted upon Vulcan.

She swung and _**boom**_! Shadow managed to block with both of his forearms, but her tremendous force behind her punch sent him sliding back. He growled, willing himself to stop as he dropped his arms. "Not bad," he complimented, "for a human. However, you cannot win against me."

The female dressed in black took her stance and charged forward with a mighty roar. Shadow grunted and thrust his arms back, his crimson eyes glowing as the power of the Chaos Emerald flowed within him.

Matching her roar with his own, Shadow mirrored her exactly, snapping his leg out to meet hers in another earthshaking tremor of power. They both jumped back and charged one another again, countering one another's punches, kicks, and grapples. The smoke cleared on the other side, and standing there was the Parliament, keeping track of Tifa Lockhart's moves against Shadow's.

"To think that Sethlans would show up on our doorstep now of all times," Zell shouted, "I don't care how the timing could be any better! Now we can settle this once and for all!"

"But why would he come to us?" Quistis wondered.

"Who cares? Tifa just knocked him for a loop and now his goons are gonna feel the hurt!"

Another shockwave of energy and Squall grunted. "Tifa is letting her rage get the best of her."

Quistis nodded, noticing Shadow's calm movements compared to Lockhart's wild maneuvers. "Yes and her opponent isn't someone she can just let loose on. Shadow is reading her and it's only a matter of time before he makes his move."

"Are you saying he's stronger than her?" Zell pondered.

Quistis crossed her arms. "No, but power isn't everything. She may have him beat in strength, but if she doesn't calm down, he'll find a way to use her anger against her."

Quistis' worst fears were coming to life before their eyes. Shadow was beginning to deflect her punches and using his superior speed to dodge her kicks.

_**Smash!**_

Another blow to the bridge caused the entire walkway to shake, but Shadow skated around the epicenter to Tifa's backside and ducked underneath the following back-blow.

"Tifa, watch out!"

Trepe's warning came too late. Shadow's elbow to Tifa's gut caught her off-guard, and he sought to capitalize immediately. Winding up his fist, he was about to finish it, when—

"_Enough_!"

A flash of mauve and an unsheathing of the enormous sword the unknown ally of Vulcan carried blocked Shadow's finishing straight. The large sword wailed, disorientating everyone except for its wielder.

Shadow stepped back, shaking the cobwebs out of his head before growling at his so-called partner. "You…"

"Wait a minute," Irvine's eyes widened. "Isn't that…?"

Quistis didn't want to believe it. "That's…impossible…"

Neither did Zell. "No way…"

No one did, but there he stood. Protecting the one precious thing he had left in his life, he wouldn't allow anyone to harm her anymore.

**To Be Continued**

Next Time: The Darkness


	22. The Darkness

**Episode 21: The Darkness**

Shadow's powerful blow caused Cloud's large sword to sing a painful melody. Stumbling backwards from the sound, Shadow slowly regained his composure before his focus came back onto Cloud, his so-called ally in this mission. Aiding Tifa at the last moment, he should have known such a shady character couldn't be trusted. Cloud stood between the two, his cold gaze mirroring Shadow's murderous eyes of crimson.

"Enough, Shadow," Cloud warned, the presence of his sword serving as his equalizer against the power of the ultimate life form.

Had it not been for Vulcan's mentioning of maintaining their co-existence, Shadow would have taken Cloud out long ago.

But it was more than that, wasn't it? Something he didn't want to admit. The resolve Shadow saw in Cloud's eyes…it reminded him of…

"_I won't let them harm you! Hurry and get out of here!"_

"_Shadow!"_

He lowered his shaking fist. "So, she is one of the things you cherish in this world?" he pondered aloud, his scowl slowly dissolving into indifference. "A mere human?"

"She's more than a mere human," Cloud replied, lifting his blade onto his shoulder and looking back at Tifa. "But I suppose someone like you can never understand that."

"_You must live on…for me, Shadow."_

Why did his fists shake? It wasn't Cloud's words. No, it couldn't have been.

"_Sayonara, Shadow."_

He couldn't bear to see those two standing together any longer. He quickly turned away, focusing now on the group that stood between him and his objective. "Is that what you believe?"

"Oi! Cloud!"

Cloud lifted his head in the direction of Zell's loud voice. He forgot how loud Zell could be after all of this time. At least _he_ didn't change.

"Cloud, what're you doing hanging around Sethlans and his gang?" he shouted.

"Better yet," Irvine added, "what's he doing here of all places?"

"We're here to see Matron Edea, of course!"

They saw it, but they couldn't believe it. Even Shadow and Cloud were surprised to see Vulcan standing on his own two feet. He smiled as if nothing happened to him. Tifa snapped out of her stupor at the sound of Vulcan's voice, seeing a figure wrapped in mauve standing before her. The aura was dark, but there was no mistaking it. She had to know if it was _him_ standing there.

She uttered his name, "Cloud?"

He turned his head Tifa's way, his eyes telling the story of his emotions. A flicker of light shot through the dark clouds surrounding Lockhart's soul once she laid eyes on Cloud's visage. She grabbed his arm, feeling him to see if he was real. "Cloud!" she shook him numerous times, losing her bearing as tears escaped her. "Cloud! You're still alive! I thought…I thought…"

Cloud sighed. "Tifa…"

A round of applause shattered the touching moment between two close friends as Vulcan stepped forward. "And the cat is outta of the bag," he chuckled, clapping his hands above his head as he stopped beside Shadow. "Awesome, but if you don't mind, we've got some business with Edea."

"You've got some nerve, traitor!" Zell roared, his voice carrying down the glass-enclosed walkway.

How Quistis despised Vulcan's arrogant laugh, but she still was amazed at his endurance. "Tifa punched him hard," she muttered under her breath, "and yet he barely has any marks to show for it. Either he healed himself, or…"

"Now where have I heard that one before?" Vulcan asked Zell, hunching his shoulders and exaggerating a sigh. "Listen, I'm not here for a fight. I mean, I took that punch, didn't I, Tifa?"

Tifa scowled when Vulcan looked back and sent a wink her way. "Sethlans…"

She suddenly felt someone pull her back by the shoulders just as she went to prove Vulcan wrong. She snapped her head back and her scowl quickly disappeared once she saw the culprit. "Cloud?"

The caped enigma shook his head.

"Cloud, are you on his side?" she yelled, shooting an accusing finger at the sorcerer. "He killed Zack, didn't he? He betrayed us!"

Cloud took a glance Vulcan's way, taking a second to watch him pick his nose for some godforsaken reason. Strife shook his head at the disgusting act and stood his ground. "There's more to this than you know."

"Are you saying he didn't?"

Another shake of his head. "No, but he claims to have his reasons."

"Cloud…"

"What reasons could you have for betraying people you called your friends?" Zell shot back. "Or for killing Zack?"

Vulcan wagged his finger and grinned. "Heh, I would explain it to ya Zelly, but now's not the time. I'm a man on a mission."

"Sorry," Quistis came forward, unveiling her whip from his back belt loop and snapping it on the floor, "but your mission ends here. Whether you have reasons or not, we can't forgive traitors to our cause nor can we forgive murderers!"

This was getting quite tedious for Vulcan. No matter how much he pleaded his case, the Parliament was iron-clad. He didn't blame them for their hatred, in fact he anticipated it. However, he couldn't allow them to slow down the progress of destiny.

His expression grew dire and earnest as he drew his sword, assuming his stance as he bent his knees and leaned forward. "Okay, I'm going to say this one last time so make sure you're listening…_move_!"

"Heh, your mother didn't teach you better manners with the ladies?" Irvine taunted, his sawed-off shotgun trained on the sorcerer's forehead.

Vulcan smirked. "When you need to get your point across, there isn't much room for civility."

"Then I'll teach you how to talk to a lady."

"Hold on, Irvine!" Zell shouted as he hurried to him. "I wanna a piece of him too!"

Irvine laughed a little, glancing over his shoulder. "Don't worry; I'll save some for all of you."

Zell halted in his steps and snorted. He supposed he should have jumped on the opportunity first before Kinneas, but as long as he shut the traitor up he was fine with it.

"You just don't get it," Vulcan unsheathed his blade and spun around himself before bringing it forward in a firm stance, "I'm not gunning for you. But if you wanna play, then who am I to deny ya!"

"Vulcan…," Shadow called out to him, a lack of urgency in his tone.

"Don't worry, Shadow!" he assured him. Shadow didn't show it, but he was actually worried about Vulcan which was surprising but it was refreshing at the same time. He was slowly becoming a true ally. "I'll definitely win!"

"Underestimating me, eh?" Whipping his coat tail around and training the sights of his shotgun at Vulcan, Irvine poised himself for battle. "That'll be your downfall!"

"Let's go then!" Vulcan accepted the invitation without hesitation, swinging his sword arm out and rushing Kinneas wildly with a cackle.

Irvine grinned, focusing on the iron sights of his 12 gauge towards his oncoming target. "Not very smart, are you? Charging at an opponent: Mistake number one."

Vulcan only laughed, continuing his dash without a care for his foe's warning.

"Not to mention you're charging at me in a straight line…mistake number two."

Again, that laugh of King's irritated Irvine to his breaking point. "Gonna die laughing?" he hissed, cocking his weapon. "Suit yourself!"

He quickly squeezed the trigger, and—

"Hahahahaha!" Vulcan suddenly disappeared!

Irvine gasped. "What? Where did he go?"

"Irvine! Behind you!" Zell yelled.

Irvine spun on his heel, his weapon straight and there was Sethlans. But…

"Impossible...," the sharpshooter growled.

Vulcan—no, five Vulcans surrounded him! It was a spell! It had to be!

He aimed the shotgun underneath his opposite armpit at the Vulcan behind him and fired, but the spray of bullets went through the image! "Damn!"

The annoying sorcerer cackled as his images ran circles around Kinneas, multiplying into the dozens! "Mistake number one: Battling against a sorcerer!"

One lunged at Irvine, but he shot through it. Another behind Irvine and he fired behind his back. From the left, bang! From the right, another spray of bullets! The Vulcans continued to taunt him with laughter as he whipped his shotgun about, sending bullets all around him. Leaping into the air, he broke out into a spin, sending a tornado of bullets in all directions and dispelling many images, but it wasn't enough!

Quistis bit her nail and growled, "Irvine should have known that he's at a serious disadvantage against a person who can use magic without the proper equipment to defend against it!"

She continued to watch him as he landed and somersaulted over another dozen of images, laying down a spread of bullets. "I know he's skilled, but to rush into battle against a sorcerer just to impress us is foolish."

"You saying he'll lose, Teach?" Zell asked her.

As much as she hated to admit it, "Yes," she shook her head. "Sethlans has already won."

Zell bashed his fist into his palm. "Damn! I should have taken him on!"

"Having trouble?" one of the Vulcans mocked as he jumped aside from another shotgun blast.

Another one cart wheeled to the side of another blast behind Irvine. "Oh ho ho, he's got skills with the shotty! But…"

The images suddenly vanished except for one…, "Your second mistake was picking a fight against yours truly!"

Right in front of him! Cocking his sword back, Vulcan prepared to finish the marksman with his back turned.

Irvine was quick to turn around and reload for a final blast. He wouldn't be caught off-guard! "Got ya!" he clenched his teeth and squeezed the trigger without a second thought.

But the crafty sorcerer was one step ahead of him, lashing out Kinneas at a blinding speed in the form of multiple images! "Not so much!" he screamed, the force of his Rave Drive deflecting the bullets and blowing his adversary away. "This is my Phantom Rave Drive!"

"Irvine!" Zell ran out and caught Irvine just before he hit the ground, sweeping in for the save. "Got ya!"

Tifa couldn't believe it. Sethlans defeated a member of the Parliament. And to do it so easily, "Sethlans had a major advantage over Irvine," she tried to reason with herself, refusing to believe King was superior to Kinneas. "Irvine wasn't even properly equipped to dispel those magic effects!"

Shadow snorted indignantly, muttering under his breath, "Foolish girl...she's in denial."

Watching Zell help Irvine to his feet, Vulcan laughed as he swiped his sword downward. "To come unprepared like that against me was a huge mistake. The next time you wanna impress the ladies, just make sure you aren't setting yourself up for failure, rookie."

"A rookie!" Irvine snapped, trying to break away from Zell's firm full nelson. "You…!"

"Irvine, that's enough!" Zell pulled back. "Don't fight him, man!"

"I'll fight him."

The aloof voice came out of nowhere, the man who issued the challenge walking past Irvine and Zell and into the unmarked arena. His weapon resting on his shoulder, his blue eyes displayed no fear of the adversary before him.

Irvine shook his head to calm himself down, but looked back up. "Squall?"

"Your fighting style is impressive, Irvine," Squall explained, not taking his eyes off Vulcan, "and while guns are superior to swords, when the wielder is of high-class, the advantage is nullified and it comes down to sheer skill, but even then he's a sorcerer."

"And so he's still got the advantage against you, Squall!" Irvine shot back.

Squall paused in his reply, studying the expression on Sethlans' visage. "Maybe, but I've nullified his advantage as a sorcerer."

The one person he hoped to never face stood in front of the sorcerer. This was more than about silencing a traitor, no. This was about vengeance. One thirsted for the other's blood while the other sought forgiveness.

Vulcan and Squall held their weapons tight at their sides.

Vulcan's eyes welled up in tears.

Squall narrowed his gaze in suspicion. He knew the reason why Sethlans' was shedding tears, but the time for tears was over. In order to seek the answers he was looking for, Leonhart needed to defeat the one he deemed responsible for _her_ despair.

Her name resonated in their minds as they began their intense face-off, _'Rinoa…'_

For her, Squall would kill Sethlans King for retribution. And for her, Vulcan was willing to use his powers to the fullest extent in order to prove his innocence.

Either way, this would their toughest fight yet.

**To Be Continued…**


	23. The God Shall Cry

**Episode 22: The God Shall Cry**

_Vulcan versus Squall…A storm of emotions blows in…_

"I knew you had it in for me, Squall," Vulcan admitted, shouldering his weapon as the two warriors stood face-to-face on the bridge. Squall was the final obstacle to Edea, and from what Vulcan sensed…

Leonhart's remained rigid, just as the sorcerer remembered from his days in the Parliament. "Traitors aren't forgiven, nor are murderers."

Vulcan snorted and mustered a small smile. "Oh, I think it's more than that."

Squall could bear no reply. Vulcan knew his true intentions already? He knew his reason for stepping up against him?

"You believe I was the one who did _that_ to Rinoa, don't you?"

Tifa felt her heart jump slightly, recollections of the dreadful memory flashing through her head. "Rinoa," he muttered under her breath. "He's not responsible for that too, is he?"

She glanced over her shoulder at Cloud. She could tell he remembered the incident as well. Who could forget it—especially Squall. Rinoa was one of the few things Squall enjoyed in this life, and for what happened…

Squall drew his sword; the heavy two-handed gunblade dubbed 'Revolver' and held it with a tight grip at his front-side. Vulcan and Squall's eyes locked and refused to move. The tension in the air felt like the thickest of fogs as the spectators stood afar from the two swordsmen. The Parliament took note of the intensity reflected in Vulcan's eyes as Cloud and Tifa discerned the fury Squall tried to bury inside of his callous demeanor. Just facing the sorcerer in a stare down raked on his emotions. Cloud could relate with another individual he knew some time ago. Fortunately for Strife, he was dead.

"Is Sethlans really responsible for what happened to Rinoa?" Zell whispered to his peers.

Even Seifer was unable to mask his emotions of the revival of that incident. It was in his voice, "I wouldn't put it past that bastard…he's a sorcerer, after all."

"I don't know," Quistis interjected. "Something tells me that King is just as hurt about it as we are."

"Because he's been exposed?" Zell hissed.

The blonde shook her head. "No. It's as if he's trying to prove his innocence to Squall. Sethlans and Rinoa were good friends; there was nothing false about their relationship. The hurt in Sethlans' eyes proves it."

They studied Vulcan further. His stance was open, his sword at the wayside as he continued to stare down Squall. The pain—the agony in his eyes that Quistis mentioned was there. It wasn't faint either. Once the biased views of the sorcerer were put aside for the moment, they could all see that Vulcan…he was…

"Save your tears," Squall said firmly, strengthening his stance. "They won't save you…not from this."

A tear fell from the tip of Vulcan's chin as he gritted his teeth. "I'm fighting for her too, just so you know."

"I don't believe you. You've always been a selfish person."

"Says you!"

"No, not just me…Everyone…"

"With such a biased jury, I'd hang either way! You'll see once it's all set and done that it was all for you—my friends!"

That glint in Vulcan's eye made Squall hesitate for but a second before charging in. Swinging his sword down and to his left as he rushed the sorcerer, he clenched his teeth and took a mighty leap into the air, holding Revolver high above his head as he came down towards Vulcan.

Hopping back just in time, Vulcan deflected Squall's powerful swing to the side and came back with a fiercer upper swing. Squall leaned back to avoid the blade, but the wind behind swing made his face tingle. They danced a waltz of swords, the sound of metal clanging against metal serving as the orchestra.

The onlookers watched silently as the two fighters went on.

"Cloud," Tifa uttered.

Cloud came to her side, his eyes fixed on the struggle.

"Do you believe Sethlans? Do you believe he didn't kill Zack or even with what happened to Rinoa?"

"I can't believe Sethlans King," Cloud answered bluntly as Vulcan and Squall's blades clashed, the two testing each other's strength as they tried pushing one another back. "Sethlans King was an alias, a name made to cover his identity as a sorcerer. I'll never believe _that_ boy that came to us long ago. But Vulcan…Vulcan fights from his heart, and while he is somewhat selfish, his goals are true."

Tifa turned her head to him. "Cloud…"

"I sense a great deal of darkness in Vulcan's shadow, and he refuses to see it. But the sorcerer we see right now is someone that will put his life on the line for others, I realize that now. Those tears he's shedding right now are genuine. He doesn't want to fight Squall or any of us, but to hide it under the false name of Sethlans King has driven him to the point where he can't anymore."

Hearing Cloud's words and comparing them to what he saw in the center of the bridge, Shadow could only close his eyes and cross his arms, saying to himself, "He's been with humans for too long. They're affecting his mind of what's important."

Summoning a force of power with great roar, Squall pushed Vulcan far back onto the ground. Watching the sorcerer fall onto his back, the silent swordsman shouldered his weapon, looking down with slight pity. "Pathetic," he said as Vulcan struggled to get up. "Don't hold back or I will kill you."

Vulcan chuckled as he rose from one knee, grabbing his sword from the ground. He looked up, panting. "For a guy that's always so serious, you're being quite easy on me. You're holding back too."

Squall grunted. "There's no point if you're only going to insult me with fifty percent of your potential."

"Don't sell yourself short. You're strong, trust me."

Squall lowered his head slightly and brought Revolver back forward.

Vulcan's smile quickly disappeared as he did something no one expected. "But you're right. I'm insulting you by not going all out, which is why I'm going with _this_."

Leonhart narrowed his gaze on Vulcan's suspicious actions. "What are you doing? Sheathing your sword during a battle?"

But, Vulcan kept his hand gripped around the hilt, his stern gaze putting a small crack in Squall's iron wall of passion.

"Squall better be on his guard," Irvine commented. "This isn't the Sethlans I've seen before."

"His mask is gone now," Quistis added, eyes narrowing with interest. "So this is the real 'you'?"

The answer was in the thin slits of Vulcan's gaze as he slowly unsheathed his blade. His lips parted slightly and he uttered…

"The power of the King, god of sky and thunder…let this sword tear my opponent asunder…"

And with a mighty pull, a flash of light escaped the confines of the scabbard as the holy sword was revealed. Swinging and extending it to his far left, the king of Sorcery held the blade firm, his face showing little of the playful Sethlans King the Parliament knew and now loathed. No, this was a different person. Squall stood firm in the face of this new foe, but he felt as though he was diving into the unknown. This was a whole new fight now.

And the king dubbed the holy blade of white, "Zeus."

The darkness Cloud sensed in Vulcan's shadow vanished completely much to his surprise. The light imbued in his sword must have…

The power of the king existed inside of him—Cloud was sure of it.

**To Be Continued…**


	24. The Destroyer

**Episode 23: The Destroyer**

'_Vulcan reveals the potential of the Deus Blade—Zeus is unleashed…'_

Vulcan matched Squall's stoic expression, holding the lengthy, glowing blade at his side as they sized each other up in preparation for the next round. Squall sensed it and he was sure everyone else felt the aura permeating the air. The warrior holding the magnificent blade before them surely wasn't the same Sethlans King they knew, was it?

No, it couldn't be.

His words served as proof as he uttered, "Let's see if you can handle it."

"You aren't the only one who is able to summon the true power of their blade," Squall remarked as he cocked his sword back, placing his free hand on the tip of the blade. His hand and gunblade emitted a small white glow as he shouted from the top of his lungs, "_Po-o-o-o-o-wer_!"

Vulcan's eyes refused to show a hint of shock as Leonhart's gunblade extended into an Excalibur-like form, taking on a similar radiance as Zeus. The sparks of auras colliding crackled in the air as Squall swung the gunblade down at his side with both hands and rushed Vulcan with another roar. "Sethlans!"

"That's not my name," Vulcan said in a small monotone, pointing Zeus directly at Squall. "I am Vulcan, King of Sorcery, the third-generation wielder of this weapon of the Gods. The Deus Blade is mine to control…"

Bringing mighty blade up then immediately down to meet Squall's, the collision of their powers created a terrible shockwave that drowned out the clanging of their weapons. "And mine alone!" the sorcerer finished, breaking away and bashing Zeus against Squall's shining gunblade repeatedly, creating shockwave after shockwave.

Squall spun on the heel of his boot to add extra power into the next swing and clash. He clenched his teeth tight as the explosion of power made the suspended bridge tremble. "Vulcan, you are the one that tried to take the one thing that I cherish most in life," he whispered, bringing himself closer to the sorcerer as he struggled to push him and his sword back. "It's too late for forgiveness—too late for Rinoa!"

"Your love for her and hatred for me is what drives you now?" Vulcan asked him callously, his eyes hollowed in an eerie indigo. "If that's the case, then you've already lost."

"I refuse to lose to you."

The cross pendant dangling on the sorcerer's neck sparkled. "Not to me…to the darkness."

Squall refused to listen to his words. He never believed Vulcan back then and he damn sure wasn't going to now. With a great force of will power, he pushed Vulcan even further back and slammed his blade on the ground, creating a visible shockwave aimed at the stumbling sorcerer.

"Not yet!" Vulcan hissed, his frustration surfacing at last as he scowled with bulging eyes and cut the air in two with a great swing of Zeus. "_Negate_!"

A powerful gust of wind dispelled the white wave cold in its tracks as Vulcan continued to spin on his heel and came zipping out of the blast of air, sword cocked as far back with his one hand as possible. "_Rave Drive_!"

Just as he shouted the name of his attack, he became a streak of light charging Squall. Leonhart, however, saw the attack from a mile away and countered with a rising swing of Revolver.

"What?" Vulcan gasped, Zeus knocked high into the air…out of his hands.

"You're open!" Squall quickly brought his gunblade down for the finisher! "_Renzokuken_!"

Not if Vulcan could help it! If Squall connected with Renzokuken, it was all over! He had to think of something quick, but what could he do without Zeus? Squall had him beat!

Thump, thump, thump his heart beat as his eyes regained their vigor, the mighty blade coming down for the grand finale.

'_Can't be…not yet!'_

_**Slash!!**_

Just one slash down Vulcan's body sent him flying back, but Squall quickly pursued. "It's not over!" he shouted as he soared over the sorcerer's body.

Barely able to discern anything because of the searing pain in his body, Vulcan choked on his scream as blood came spilling out of his wounds. _'No way…'_

_**Slash!!**_ Another explosive spinning slash knocked Vulcan high, his body slamming against the fiber-glass ceiling and falling behind Cloud and the others. Squall was relentless, leaping over the three as he spun his sword about with flicks of his wrist. "This one is for Rinoa!" he yelled.

'_Can't lose just yet!'_

_**Slash!!**_ The fully powered Revolver ripped through the fabrics of Vulcan's clothes and slammed him hard on the ground, creating a crater deep enough to endanger the integrity of the bridge. Shadow stood firmly as the gusts beat against his face, his eyes steadfast in focus of Vulcan's losing battle.

The smoke quickly cleared and Squall stood over the crater whilst Vulcan lay motionless at the bottom, blood drenching his body from the intense scars on his body. Squall did it, much to everyone's surprise. They thought Vulcan would actually pose a threat, but perhaps they were wrong. Squall barely had a scratch on him, his gunblade returning to its normal form as he looked down in the hole with his typical indifference.

"That finished him," Cloud said to himself.

Tifa nodded. "There's no way Vulcan could survive that."

"Squall did it," Zell announced in disbelief, slack-jawed. "Squall took down Sethlans."

"Tcch," Seifer turned on his heel, refusing to see his rival outshine him. After all, Seifer's desire was to be the one to avenge Rinoa. Even though she loved Squall, he wanted to be the one.

Fujin shook her head. "Captain."

"Finally shut him up," Seifer remarked, his head bowed. "Now we can arrest him and put an end to this."

Quistis wasn't fooled. She saw right through Almasy's veil of false pride. To see Squall defeat one of the men he wished to bring down shattered his confidence. _'You're still a child, Seifer,'_ she mulled before turning her attention back to Squall as he began walking away from the crater. _'But so is Squall…even after that, I bet you aren't satisfied. You may have gotten your revenge, but was it worth it? Rinoa is still…'_

Squall stopped past Shadow. Their gazes in opposite directions, the two felt their auras clash. Squall didn't show it, but unleashing the full power of Revolver and using Renzokuken literally drained him of strength. Fighting Shadow was not a battle on his agenda, but the ultimate life form may have been thinking the opposite.

Still, he remained detached. "Sethlans is finished," he told Shadow. "If you want to avenge him, now is the time."

Crimson eyes didn't deviate from the large hole as he countered, "You have a fight to finish, human."

That statement shattered Squall's calm as well as everyone else's. "What did you say?" Squall growled.

Shadow hated to repeat himself. "I said your fight isn't over. Vulcan is still able to fight."

"Impossible!" Tifa snapped. "Squall used his strongest attack against King! Not even _he_ can get up from that!"

"Then tell me what you're seeing now…"

They diverted their focus to the crater once again. Nothing was coming out if that was what Shadow was talking about. Vulcan couldn't have survived that attack! All of Squall's attacks connected and with deadly precision as well! Not to mention, Vulcan's sword was—

It was gone! Squall swore he knocked it out of Vulcan's hand, and the sorcerer had no time to grab it! No one else grabbed it either, so where did it go?

_Impossible…_

The word ran through everyone except Shadow's mind as a body soaked in blood emerged from the crater, carrying his lengthy sword on his shoulder, his eyes displaying that same frost when he first unveiled Zeus. His shirt hung down his pants in rags, scars bleeding on his chest but his pedant remaining unblemished. In fact, it seemed to be glowing brighter than before. Could it have been that…?

"How is he still standing?" Cloud wondered, unable to rid himself of the dazed expression on his face.

Neither Tifa nor anyone could give him a straight answer. Vulcan was beyond resilient. Hell, from the look on his face, he didn't even seem to know where he was!

"End this now, Vulcan," Shadow commanded the sorcerer, the one who held the keys to his memories. "We have better things to do."

The seemingly hollow Vulcan acknowledged, "Yeah."

Squall tightened his grip around the hilt of Revolver, quickly repositioning himself in his stance in the face of Vulcan. "I don't know how you're still standing, but…"

"I'm the God's Emissary," Vulcan explained vacantly, raising his head, his right eye half-closed from the blood running down his head. "If I die, who's going to bring the light out of the darkness?"

"What're you talking about?" Leonhart hissed.

"When I've taken _your_ weapon away from you, then I'll tell you."

"You…," Squall lowered his gunblade slightly, anticipating Vulcan's next attack, "you're overconfident."

"No, what I am is finished begging for forgiveness," he countered, surprising even Squall with the venom in his tone. "I see now what Maelstrom saw during the Revolution."

He aimed the tip of Zeus at his foe, and casted final judgment upon him. "This is what I expect from humans…"

Suddenly, Zeus shattered into pieces in Vulcan's hand. Before Squall could blink, darkness engulfed the world around. Standing before him in the light was Vulcan, those callous eyes showing no sympathy as everything came into place for the grand finale.

"What's going on?" Squall barked, noticing that he was now weaponless. He looked around in the obscurity then at the man most likely responsible. "What did you do with my weapon?"

_Drip…_

_Drop…_

"Was that water? Where are we?"

"This is the power of Zeus," Vulcan began to explain. "With this, my powers as a sorcerer are increased tenfold."

"So Zeus was never intended on being used as an offensive weapon, but rather—"

"It's about time I opened your mind, Squall, and revealed what happened to Rinoa…as well as Zack."

A gasp escaped Leonhart, albeit a small one. "Only me?"

"That's as much as I can muster. Come," the King of Sorcery extended a hand to him as the flood gates of his memories began to open. The rushing flow of water submerged them both, though in the darkness Squall could not see the water. Vulcan sank serenely; however, closing his eyes as this strange reality came to life.

_A tear rolled down his cheeks as the truth shattered him completely. Had it not been for the situation at hand, he would have burst into tears. This couldn't have been happening. Why? Of all people…why him?_

"_Why did you do it?"_

Squall's eyes widened as he witnessed the dreams occurring in front of him.

"_I was ordered to…by NEXUS. There's a lot more to this than you realize, King Vulcan."_

_The younger Vulcan stood at the edge of the bridge, staring at the tip of the large sword aimed at his Adam's apple. He managed to take a large gulp before asking, "So that's it huh? So when Sephiroth was talking about the traitor, it wasn't me. It was you."_

_His blue-green eyes narrowed, but he replied, "I'm sorry, Vulcan. I have to do this, for her sake."_

"_Then I'm to be the villain in their eyes, huh, Zack Fair?"_

**To Be Continued…**

"_That's right, Sethlans King…"_


	25. The World's Enemy

**Episode 24: The World's Enemy**

_**Two Years Ago…The Mako Factory…**_

A town once known as Nibelheim was nothing more than piles of burnt rubble. The bodies of the citizens were long since given proper burials, though some were too burned to recognized. The stench of an evil left unsolved permeated the air that Cloud Strife couldn't ignore. Running up the hill leading to the lone Mako reactor, Zack Fair and Sethlans King followed Strife's lead towards the climax of his search for answers. They had their suspect—Cloud did, at least, and he was sure he would find the answers inside the reactor.

Sethlans managed to get his question out as he gasped for air as he ascended the long flight of stairs to the reactor entrance, "Sephiroth is the one behind the attacks on the colonies then?"

"Yes, this entire time right under our noses," Cloud answered without hesitation.

"So he's working for the Americans then?" King threw his hands behind his back and sped up to Zack and Cloud as he ground his teeth. "He's a damn spy!"

Zack glanced at Sethlans. "I think Sephiroth is much more than a spy," he added. "He's not the kind of guy that can be controlled by someone as pitiful as the Americans."

"It probably goes much deeper than can fathom," Cloud tightened his fists as the entrance became clear over the horizon. "Either way, it ends today."

After a long, non-stop run to the Nibelheim reactor, they finally reached the top. The trio stared at the large iron doors, sensing an ominous presence behind it. Sethlans took a large gulp, the lump slowly going down his throat as his fist shook uncontrollably.

Zack placed a hand on his subordinate, his smile reassuring. "Don't worry. We're gonna make it out of this."

"Hah, you think I'm nervous over someone like Sephiroth? I can take him myself!" Seth lied, his nervous smile displaying his obvious apprehension.

"Your fear is evident," Cloud pointed out, continuing to study the doors.

"What?"

Cloud turned to the young magic manipulator with a blank stare. "Sephiroth will take hold of that fear and control you if you let him. Hide it as much as possible."

Seth snorted and walked past the black armored subordinate of Alpha Sector. "Even now you're such a weirdo, Cloud." He sighed and looked back at Strife with a small grin as the door slowly opened. "But that's what I like about you. When this is all over, maybe we can go to Seventh Heaven again with everyone."

"Yeah." Zack smiled, believing there was a chance they would all make it out of this ordeal.

Cloud, however, thought otherwise. Or maybe he didn't. He sauntered past King once the door fully opened. "Let's go."

Sethlans chuckled and followed Cloud with Zack as Cloud ran inside. The wicked aura filled the air once the trio entered the factory. The door slammed shut behind them and the dim lights hanging over the factory became their only source of light. Swinging side to side, they revealed the large storage tanks of Mako Energy on the sides of the interconnecting bridge they stood on.

"Where's Sephiroth?" Sethlans wondered, looking around as they continued down the bridge.

"He's here," Cloud answered, "In the control center."

Zack grunted. "How'd you figure that, Cloud?"

Cloud closed his eyes and stopped. "I just know…he was my former Chief, after all."

"Makes sense, I guess." Fair clasped his gloved hands behind his head inside of his black spiked hair. "A good thing Seth doesn't know me _that_ well."

Sethlans snorted, shooting Zack a dirty look. "You implying something?"

Cloud opened his eyes and hurried on down the long bridge. "Let's go."

Sethlans sighed, but ran behind Cloud with Zack, making their way down the stairs to the lower bridge levels. Their footsteps echoed and broke the eerie silence inside of the factory. It made King wonder if anyone actually worked inside of the factory before. If Sephiroth actually was in here, did he kill all of the workers?

If so, where were their bodies?

It was a concern, but King didn't worry about it that much. "Cloud is dead-set on finishing things with Sephiroth, huh?"

"Sephiroth has a lot of things to answer in Cloud's mind," Zack replied, matching King's speed as they trailed behind Strife. "He destroyed Nibelheim—Cloud and Tifa's hometown…not to mention a lot of other things."

"Not that I'm saying it's not justified. It's just…," Seth sighed, "living life with hate in your heart is a heavy thing."

Zack grinned a little. "Since when did you get so philosophical?" he wondered with a teasing tone.

Sethlans snorted and looked away. "Shut up, I've always had a sense for looking at life from a different standpoint. I just hope after this, Cloud can find peace and hook up with Tifa already."

A chuckled escaped Fair as he watched King. The King before him was a lot different than the immature teenager that the three Generals placed under his care. It was refreshing, though. "You've changed, Seth."

Sethlans glanced at his chief with a curious expression and grunted. "Nah, you just know more about me now."

"Heh," Zack smiled. "Yeah, but still—"

The screech of a sword swiping through steel echoed in the thick air as a flash stopped the three in their tracks!

It didn't take long for Cloud to figure out who it was! Unsheathing his large sword from his back, he took his position. "It's him!"

On cue with Cloud's warning, Zack and Sethlans gasped as a haunting figure floated down to block their path, his long white hair falling the mesh floor. His blue eyes found its way into the trio's hearts as his one, black wing folded behind his lightly armored back.

"And so the three blind mice come seeking the cheese," said Sephiroth with a smirk, a cold-blooding mocking tone in his voice.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud snapped.

Sephiroth examined his former subordinate and closed his eyes as he bowed his head slightly. "Cloud…your stance is still weak. You leave your lower quarters open."

"I don't need lectures from you!" Strife roared. Zack and Sethlans never saw seen him this angry. Usually he was very reserved in his emotions, but Sephiroth truly was the root of his rage, wasn't he? "You betrayed the Parliament and destroyed Nibelheim!"

Sephiroth grunted. "Hmmph, I was never interested in serving Cid or the Space Federation in the first place," he explained, flicking a long strand of his hair. "It was a paid commission, and even so…they never served my interest."

"Then why did you stay as long as you did?"

Sephiroth opened his eyes, pinning Cloud with a heartless gaze. "To finish my mission."

Cloud hissed, tightening the grip around the hilt of his Buster Blade. "Finish the mission?" he echoed. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"I don't expect you to understand even if I explained, so there is no point in telling you. You served well as pawns in our plans, but now," he brought his hands out and tilted his chin up as he declared, "it's time we ended this and bring civilization to a halt."

"I've had enough of this traitor!" Sethlans shouted. "Let's put an end to this!"

Sephiroth lowered his head and focused on King with a small smile—a smile that sent chills down the young man's spine. "Interesting you should mention such thing…seeing as a traitor is amongst your group."

Sethlans took a step back and growled. "What was that?"

"Enough," drawing the long blade from his scabbard, he pointed the great katana at his foes. "It is time for you all to die here."

"He's mine!" Cloud shouted. "Hurry to the control room!"

Rushing his former chief in a nearly blind rage, his sword clashed against Sephiroth's and created a great wave of power. "I _will_ kill you Sephiroth!" he declared with every fiber in his being, continuing to test his mighty blade against his in a display of speed and power. Pursuing the one-winged angel as they bounded from bridge to bridge, he descended down upon the devil with great fury.

He swung his sword as Sephiroth vanished in a storm of black feathers, his chuckle echoing in the cold air. "Damn you!"

"You're no match, Cloud," Sephiroth taunted, appearing high above Strife's head and charging with a blinding stab as he yelled, "You never were!"

Sethlans watched them disappear with a dumbfounded, slack-jawed expression. "Well what was the point when," he stopped himself and shook his head as he dropped his hands and sighed. "Whatever, I guess we can go and shut down the main system. Sephiroth may have tampered with it. C'mon, Zack. Let's hurry up!"

His response was the swiping a sword behind his back. The piercing wind of the swing halted King.

Seth felt a strand of his short, dirty blonde hair fall out as he turned to Zack. "Zack, what's up? You someth--"

Another swing came at King fast! He barely managed to evade the attack by jumping back! What the hell was Zack doing? Sethlans felt his heart beating fast as a drop of sweat trickled down his face, eyes wide to the hardened expression on Zack's visage. "Zack…," he shuddered. "What…what the hell, dude? Either I had something on me, or…"

"This ends here," Zack uttered coldly. "The game is up, Sorcerer."

"Zack!" Sethlans snapped. "This isn't the time to be playing around, dude!"

"The only one who's playing around is you." He rushed the alleged sorcerer once more, swinging his sword wildly at him. "You still think you can lie to me?"

Bobbing and weaving around the attacks, Sethlans tried to get his sentences out, "What the hell are you talking about?" He rolled back from one swing and dropped to one knee as he caught his breath.

Zack lowered his sword, giving King a look of pure disgust. "Maelstrom, the Queen of Sorcery, and you…Vulcan, the King of Sorcery…the both of you plan on destroying mankind!"

Sethl—Vulcan rose to his feet, fists shaking as he clenched his teeth. He snapped his head up and looked to Zack with tears rolling down his cheeks. "Zack…what…who told you all of this?" He took a step back as Fair advanced. "How do you know about Maelstrom?"

Zack raised his sword once more, aiming it at King's Adam's apple as he forced him to the edge of the bridge and staircase. "I was ordered to monitor your actions by General Renoa. He said you were…untrustworthy."

Sethlans came to the railing and stopped. "And he told you I was out to destroy mankind?"

Zack snorted. "The sudden waves of attacks are proof. Your sudden disappearance during the attack on our base, your background, and Maelstrom's emergence with your reaction…you and Sephiroth are working for her."

"That's crazy talk!" Vulcan denied fervently. "Sephiroth is on the lunatic fringe! I haven't made any plans with him! And Maelstrom…," he snarled, "I don't even like having that name mentioned to me! You gotta believe me, Zack! I'm not here to do anything!"

The emotions poured from Sethlans King, but Zack remained unfazed. "It's pointless. I know about the God Complex. You plan on destroying us all. Whether your motives are with Sephiroth of not, you can't get away with this!"

The God Complex? That…Sethlans narrowed his gaze on Zack. "That's not common knowledge, Zack. No one in the Federation knows about the God Complex."

"Your knowledge proves your guilt," Zack reversed the role of traitor.

However, Sethlans reversed again, shooting an accusing finger Fair's way. "Not likely! There's only one person who could have told you that! You're a double agent for NEXUS, aren't you, Zack?"

Silence…and silence spoke in volumes for King. Shaking his head as tears continued to escape his eyes, he asked, "Why did you do it?"

"Orders from NEXUS," Zack answered simply. "There's a lot more to this than you realize, Vulcan."

"So that's it, huh?" Seth grunted. "So Sephiroth was talking about you when he said there was a traitor amongst us?"

Zack's eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Sorry, but I have to do this for her sake."

Seth chuckled, "Then I'm to be the villain in their eyes, huh, Zack Fair?"

"That's right, Sethlans King."

Then it was decided. Sethlans bowed his head, laughing to himself as he built his resolve. "Fine then, but…"

His head snapped up, eyes burning with ire as he swung a sword materialized from a burst of light in his hand. "I won't go down as the one who killed Zack, you imposter!"

Zack acted fast and intercepted the sword attack with his own, struggling against the sorcerer in a test of strength! "I'm no imposter!"

"You can't fool me!" Vulcan snapped. "Like I said, there's only one person who could have told you all of this and I promise you it wasn't Renoa! It was Julia, and I know Zack would never join NEXUS! He would never help the Americans—not the same country that destroyed his hometown! Not to mention, he would never give me such cold looks!"

Vulcan's power…he was pushing Zack back! "Zack and I are like family! As if I didn't realize something was wrong in the first place! Ever since the attack on the base, you've been acting strange! Now I know…show yourself, faker!"

Zack smiled, dropping his sword and melting into a black puddle as Vulcan's blade sliced through the murky water. The puddle quickly retreated and reformed itself into the form of a mysterious youth in a black coat, the bottom half of his face covered by his collar. He adjusted his bifocals as he faced the sorcerer.

"A NEXUS agent!" Sethlans shouted.

The black ponytailed youth grunted, pushing the bridge of his glasses up to cover his crimson eyes. "Don't insult me by comparing me to an average agent."

"Whatever, you look like garbage to me."

The young man shot a gloved finger at Sethlans and laughed, "Really? The only garbage I see here is the one standing before me. You weren't even good enough to go to Atlantis! You stayed with all of the other filth in Oceanus!"

Sethlans stepped back and scowled. _'Punk, how does he know about Oceanus and Atlantis?'_

The black coat shape shifter lowered his hand and slouched, relaxing his hand at his hip. "Me on the other hand, I don't need such crutches to become a Superior!"

"Wait!" King screamed. "A Superior?"

The boy held his hands out at his sides. "Yes, and you may call me Seto! And as for your demise…,"

Pumping his fists above his head, he hollered from the top of his lungs as a massive black being emerged from his shadow. Bearing a horned, winged devil's form he dubbed him, "Shaitan!"

Seto pointed out its target—Vulcan. "Purge him with darkness!"

"Oh hell no!" Vulcan muttered.

Running as the devil smashed through the bridge with its gigantic fist, the force of the blow blew him off the bridge. He caught the railing with his hands, flipping back and jumping through the hole Shaitan created to the next bridge below. He didn't have time for this, but it didn't seem like this Seto character and his beast Shaitan were going to give him much choice in the matter.

"I can't win against this guy," Vulcan admitted, facing the behemoth as its red eyes shot through the darkness. "At least not in this crowded space…I gotta get to that control room!"

Perched on the shoulder of his shadow creature, he looked down upon the sorcerer and snorted. "You can't be allowed to destroy the world, King Vulcan! It's not in the interests of Lady Superior!"

He snapped his fingers. "Shaitan…"

Shaitan's roar shook the entire complex. Such power from the beast as it stretched out its palm and demolished the bridge with a single thwack!

It was fortunate Vulcan dodged the attack in time, but still, "Holy shit!"

Crashing down hard on the next level, he got right back up. "Now I'm getting pissed," he hissed as he swiped his sword in the air and taking his stance. "Looks like I gotta take this guy out now!"

Seto observed his target going on the defensive and snickered, "The Deus Blade is nothing special. You think it can take out Shaitan because he's a beast of darkness, but your light won't even faze him!"

Shaitan roared and Seto's whisper reverberated as he and his beast vanished into the shadows, "Come now, King."

Vulcan did a double-take, check his six, three, and nine o'clock. "Damn it! Where'd you go?"

" Can't see with that feeble light, I see," Seto mocked. "Smash him, Shaitan!"

Determining the sound of Seto's voice and the direction it came from, King whipped and cut through what felt like flesh. The earthshaking wail was proof that he indeed caught Shaitan! Reappearing out of the darkness, the devil withdrew, favoring its clawed hand.

"Looks like my sword does more damage than ya' think!" King taunted, jumping onto the railing and preparing to leapt into the darkness where Shaitan was potentially strongest.

"Sethlans, stop!" a voice from unknown location shouted. "It's a trap to lure you out of the light over the bridge!"

Vulcan looked over his head and watched a light armored man land behind him. The shoulder-length, spiked hair may have made him look a little different, but his uniform and sword made it no mistake.

"Zack!" Somersaulting backwards and running back to Zack, he resisted the urge to hug his Chief—the real Zack Fair. "Where've you been?"

Zack, on the other hand didn't seem to be in a talkative mood, stepping in front of King as he drew his large sword. "I'll explain later! You gotta head to the control room!" he exclaimed, taking his stance. "I'll take him on!"

"Hold on!" Vulcan blurted. "I can take him! I've got—"

"The Deus Blade won't cut it against this monster. You can't beat this guy…at least not right now… he's a Superior."

King snorted, glaring at Seto and Shaitan. "You don't know what I can do."

Zack smiled at Vulcan. "You're the King of Sorcery. Can't have your Majesty dirtying his hands with guys like this, right?"

Another snort from the sorcerer. "Flattery ain't getting you nowhere, Zack."

Coming in as his beast dove from above, Seto screamed, "He's going nowhere!"

Zack jumped up and met Shaitan's powerful charge with his sword! With a mighty burst of power with his sword's swing, he drove the black terror back.

"What?" Seto yelled, standing up on Shaitan's shoulder as the monster roared. "That's impossible!"

"Hurry up!" Zack yelled as he landed in front of King. He glanced over his shoulder at him. "I'll be fine! Just go and shut this place down!"

Again Vulcan had to part with one of his only friends...he growled as the thought of losing Zack again flooded his mind. Zack was strong, but this Seto guy was a Superior!

No, he had to believe in Zack. Zack believed in him, right?

"Damn it!" the sorcerer snapped, finally coming to a decision. "You better not die on me! You've got a lot to explain!"

Zack smirked, giving his friend a thumbs-up. "Don't worry. We'll meet again, Your Majesty."

Vulcan didn't give it a second thought! Jumping off the bridge as Shaitan came roaring in for another assault, he flew down to the bottom bridge. "This is it!" he said, landing in front of a door. He rushed the metal door, drawing his sword. "No time for courtesies!"

He sliced the door in half and immediately saw the control panel for the Mako Factory. "Damn it. It would really help if I knew computers a bit more. Isn't there like a big red button or something?"

Just as he approached the computer panel, he heard the footsteps at the entrance. He immediately spared a glimpse over his shoulder. "Who's there?" he challenged with a gasp.

"No more friends to come to your aid, King."

Impossible! Him? "What're you doing here?"

The silver-haired man clad in his silver trench coat and suit stood at the threshold of the door, holding a sheathed katana in his hand. With a blank expression, he told King, "This time, you will be the antagonist."

No doubt about it. It was _him_.

_**To Be Continued…**_

"…_Sion."_


	26. The Enemy of Justice

**Episode 25: Enemy of Justice**

"…Sion," Vulcan uttered, staring face-to-face with the glassy-eyed man he once called a partner.

"It's time, Vulcan," Sion told him, assuming a samurai-like stance, holding his sheathed katana behind him and glaring a hole into Vulcan's skull.

As if Vulcan would back down now! "Huh!" he kept his sword at the ready, a wicked smile on his visage. "Don't think I'm going down without a fight though!"

Without warning, Vulcan came sliding at Sion with a powerful Rave Drive. "Take this!" the pure force of light energy behind the impact of the Rave Drive should have knocked Sion into next week.

That was _if_ the attack connected. Before the energy detonated, Sion vanished!

"No way!" Vulcan swung his sword and scowled.

"Is that your level?"

There he was as Vulcan found out, standing by the control panel, straightening his coat and sheathing his sword as if nothing happened. Sion was always like that. Never giving his foes any emotions, but that was his average opponents. He was dealing with Vulcan now, and to give him that stupid, blank stare infuriated the sorcerer!

"How did you--"

Vulcan was cut off by a sharp pain in his stomach. Spitting up a bit of blood, he fell to one knee. "No way…when did you get so fast?"

Sion approached him. "When did you get so weak?"

"Shut your mouth!"

Vulcan was foolish enough to charge Sion again, and the same result occurred. Streaks of light appeared sporadically in the air as the sound of steel whooshing in the air echoed.

"Fuck!" Rolling out of each streak of light, Vulcan made a break for the center control panel and hopped on top of it.

And there he was yet again, standing beside him, placing a cold hand on his shoulder that sent chills down Vulcan's spine. He whispered in the wide-eyed sorcerer's ear as he pushed him off the computer panels, "You're outclassed, Your Majesty."

Bloody slashes appearing across his body as he fell to the ground, Vulcan choked on another gasp, "…No."

Jumping and landing in front of Vulcan as the sorcerer crashed on the ground, Sion spun his sword around and sheathed it. "Your God Complex…," he uttered, "I won't allow such a world to exist…"

Struggling to get back onto his feet, Vulcan groaned, "It isn't my doing…I was only ordered to…destroy SOLDIER!"

Sion stomped on Vulcan's chest and pinned him down with his foot, forcing screams out of the bloody sorcerer. "You fail to realize how your actions affect your comrades." He dug the heel of his boot deeper into Vulcan's chest, almost relishing the scream coming afterwards. "And now you will become the enemy of the justice you try to enforce. Your friend…she dug too deep into our affairs."

"Wh--" Vulcan hacked and coughed up more blood before continuing, "who're you talking about?"

"General Caraway's daughter."

No…, "Not Rinoa?" he shuddered in whispering breathes before shouting with what vigor he had left. "What did you do to her, Sion? Tell me!"

"She and Stromburg prodded into our past, and for that…"

Sion was kidding, right? Sion didn't hesitate when it came to kill people under orders, but was this a command from his boss? No, even so, "They have nothing to do with this!"

As if Sion truly cared, "Either way, it's done."

This wasn't happening! Vulcan had to force his eyes shut to prevent the tears from escaping his eyes. Sion backed away as the sorcerer sobbed, "Damn you…Rinoa…Melody…" With a sudden burst of rage, he erupted to his feet and screamed, "I'll make you pay for that! That's unforgivable!"

Through the lifeless silver eyes of Sion, he watched his former partner's Deus Blade appear in his hand out of a burst of light.

"Even if they did know, that was no reason to kill them!"

"I do what I must in order to accomplish the mission," Sion replied simply without remorse. "That's my purpose. It always has been."

"Stupid excuse!" Watching him bury his face into his hand and sniffling gave Sion a certain feeling. "Rinoa…she was like a big sister to me…I…I…"

"Love?" He guessed. "So those are the emotions that have reduced you to such a weak state of mind. You're no longer the Vulcan I knew. And with that…"

It was time. Drawing his katana from its sheath gradually, he prepared himself. "I have no remorse in ending this."

"You think you can put me away so easily?!"

In a flash, the streak of light known as Sion the Reincarnation clashed against Vulcan for a second round, colliding with his adversary with fervent sword attacks that were unseen to the naked eye. Surprising in this instance that Vulcan matched Sion's speed, even if it were just the slightest. The rage boiling in his heart pushed his abilities, Sion saw that now.

Still, Sion cared less as he slid back from Vulcan's Rave Drive. "Hmmph," he grunted as Vulcan came flying with a somersaulting sword swing.

"How's this?!" Vulcan cried, coming out of his mid-air roll with a potent slash attack.

"Weak…" Sidestepping with a phantom image, he managed to shock his rival once again as his phantoms shuffled to Vulcan's backside. "Is that all?"

"Damn it!" Blindly swinging at Sion, Vulcan was simply losing control now. None of his attacks were even touching the silver-haired swordsman. To think he was _this_ advanced, "This…isn't…possible!"

Eyes closed, Sion continued to evade without effort. "To me, your swings are as slow as molasses. You cannot win this fight, King."

Cart-wheeling to Sion's right side, Vulcan wouldn't give up as he came fast with another Rave Drive! "I won't give up!"

Useless…a plain tap with the hilt of Sion's katana against the Deus Blade's tip was all that was needed to re-direct Vulcan's attack. Vulcan failed to register in his mind that he couldn't win no matter what. Sion was more than a simple agent of NEXUS.

"Vulcan," he said, pointing his katana at the sorcerer as he turned to him, "I'm more powerful than you now. I have become a Superior of NEXUS."

"A Superior?" Vulcan echoed with a gasp. "You? Is that why…?"

"Looks like I'm more special than you," cocking his sword back, his stance became similar to that of the Rave Drive! Only this time, "Your specialty is nothing to me either! Even I can use it!"

A great yell and Sion burst forward with light speed! "Rave Drive!"

"Shit!"

_**Boom!**_ An explosion of light energy destroyed half of the control room, computers adding to the fireworks as they detonated in chains. Sion's Rave Drive was spectacular, far surpassing Vulcan's! A swipe of his sword, and he sheathed it once more.

"It's over," Sion told himself.

"Really now?"

Behind him! Sion turned, but it was too late! He hissed as Vulcan's sword ripped through the flesh of his arm, jumping back and facing the sorcerer as he favored his arm. "That wasn't bad," he compliment, albeit stale.

"And I'm just getting started!" Vulcan taunted with his index finger. "I'll make you pay for what you did to Rinoa and Melody!"

Sion grunted. "I never said _I_ was the one responsible for what happened to them."

"What's that?"

"If you want answers, seek the Omega." He relieved the pressure on his injured arm, staring at the blood on his hand. "In the meantime, don't grasp false hope over mere scratches."

Vulcan growled.

Sion's stare irked the sorcerer, but his words chilled him. "A toy can never break a tool…remember that…"

"You really are too cocky for your own good! Just because you're a Superior doesn't make you invincible!"

"I never said I was invincible," Sion rejoinder, drawing his blade halfway from the scabbard. "You just can't defeat me."

Vulcan was ready, snapping back into his stance.

Sion closed his eyes, murmuring under his breath, "Flash…"

Vulcan charged forward, but a flash of light blinded him!

_**Slash!**_

The sound of blood spilling and a body dropping on the ground were the only sounds echoing in the bottom floor of the Mako factory. Sion sheathed his katana for the last time, finishing his phrase, "Slash."

Seeing Vulcan's lifeless body before him didn't bother Sion, not in the least. It was his mission after all to silence King Vulcan, and the mission was all he needed. It was all he had.

"Farewell, King," were the final words Vulcan heard before the world around him faded to black.

* * *

**Present Day…**

**

* * *

  
**

"So, you _were_ a spy," Squall began to query as he and King stood in the spotlight of the pitch black realm created by Zeus, "but you were to eliminate SOLDIER?"

"The remnants of Shinra, yes," Vulcan answered with a nod.

"So your targets were Cloud and Zack?"

A shake of King's head and he answered, "No, only Sephiroth."

"Just Sephiroth?"

Nod.

Squall let out a quiet grunt, and wondered aloud, "But Zack and Cloud…"

"They weren't seen as a threat by the three Generals…and Edea."

"Edea? But she and Lord Cid were the ones that made him the Parliament's top soldier!"

Vulcan shrugged his shoulders. "It was all a cover-up. He was one of the few soldiers recognized as bringing the war to an end, so why wouldn't the leading organization make him the alpha male? It's all politics, Squall, and Sephiroth knew this." He crossed his arms and sighed. "The man was a genius as both as a soldier and a political analyst. He knew Cid and Edea sought his head, but he didn't know it was me that was the assassin. Sure enough, however, I was framed by NEXUS as the one behind the God Complex. I was to become the enemy of justice, but the higher ups knew better than that."

"Which was why…?"

"Now you know why I was pampered so much. It was because Renoa and the others knew the truth. They were the only ones that trusted me, though the feeling isn't exactly mutual."

That explained a lot to Squall, but still, "Then why did Aramaki have his men use such force against you?"

"Politics again, Squall," Vulcan answered simply with a chuckle. "He can't let his troops know what's happening yet. It was better for me to play the villain in their eyes—to become the Enemy of Justice."

But Vulcan was forgetting the most important thing—to Squall, at least. "…And Rinoa? She wasn't killed. She's been in a coma for the past few years. Is NEXUS behind that as well?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out. I've gotta find out who this Omega guy is. It's because of him and NEXUS that I woke up under IGPF custody."

Yeah, Vulcan remembered that day in gruesome details.

_The iron door slammed shut behind the officer, darkness engulfing the small interrogation room once again. His hands handcuffed behind the chair, Vulcan watched the young, female officer come to sit on the table beside him. She was definitely a looker in King's book: nice body, blue hair and eyes, great legs, and nice breasts to match. Though he was hardly aware of his surroundings because of the drugs, he had a smile pasted on his face. He wasn't sure what they used to keep the pain away…probably some morphine, but he was certain they put truth serum in his medicine._

_He knew how the IGPF worked. He knew Renoa._

"_Good morning, Sethlans King," the lady lieutenant began, jotting down notes, "my name is 2__nd__ Lieutenant Celeste Sinacide, and I am with IGPF Special Forces. You are here under the charges of the murder of Cloud Strife, Sephiroth, and Zack Fair of the Parliament, as well as destruction of property…the Nibelheim Mako factory."_

"_Celeste Sinacide," Vulcan said, his voice hoarse, "the soldier who led the final assault against the Neo-US in World War 3?" He chuckled a little, "Suicide Sinacide is what they call you, right? It's because of you facing BAHRAM's forces with a single frame."_

"_Sir, we're here because you are being charged with murdering three Parliament officers—top-class," Sinacide reminded him in a harsh tone. "That's punishable under death."_

"_I bet you're pretty wild in bed, too. Ya' like being the dominant one, too, huh?" Vulcan clicked his tongue and bit his lower lip. "I love that in a woman."_

"_I'll tell you again," her tone grew more ruthless, "explain your actions at the Mako factory, Sethlans King."_

"_You guys should know better than anybody else," Vulcan countered, finally sharing the same earnestness as Sinacide. "You guys sent me."_

"_What're you talking about? The IGPF has had no relationships with you, Sethlans King."_

"_I see…I fuck up and you guys deny all relationships with me, huh? I was ordered to kill Sephiroth, but a NEXUS Superior disguised as Zack Fair attacked me. Cloud Strife went on to fight Sephiroth while Zack came in and fought the Superior. Another Superior got the jump on me when I got to the control room. I don't remember anything else."_

"_Are you lying?"_

_Vulcan furrowed an eyebrow. "Why would I lie?"_

"_There's blood on the sword found with you when rescue teams arrived," Celeste pointed out as she crossed her legs. "we've sampled it and it matches the blood of Zack Fair, Cloud Strife, and Sephiroth." _

"_That's a lie!" King growled. "I never swung my sword at those guys! Who the hell is working at your labs?"_

"_Our scientists at our crime lab are qualified individuals—some of the best in the field. If they say it's their blood, it is."_

"_Well, I say it's bullshit," Vulcan growled, challenging Sinacide though he was handcuffed._

"_So are you saying the sword with _your_ fingerprints, and _their_ blood isn't yours then?"_

"_If I could see the sword, I would tell you!"_

_Sinacide kept a straight face as she pulled out the picture from her notebook. Though King was testing her patience, she maintained her bearing as he glanced over the picture of the sword in question. "Is that your sword?"_

_There was no mistaking it. "Yeah," Vulcan admitted with a nod._

"_So you did murder them."_

"_No! Bring Roland in here!"_

_Sinacide's eyes narrowed into dangerously thin slits as she scowled. "Watch your tongue, King. You will refer to our commander as General Renoa on this installation."_

"_Fuck him! That bastard is screwing me over right now! He can kiss my ass for all I care!"_

_**Smack!**_

_Vulcan's chair fell along with him. Sinacide's knuckles throbbed slightly from the punch across Vulcan's cheek. She lost it when he insulted Renoa. Such a disrespectful individual, "I'll make sure you get the chair for this lack of respect, you piece of shit!" she hissed, walking over to loom over him. "You understand me, traitor?"_

_But Vulcan only laughed. "Oh yeah, I love it when you get on top, mamacita!"_

"_You son of a bi--"_

"_At ease, Lieutenant!"_

_The stern command snapped Sinacide out of her ire, and she came to attention, facing the individual entering the room. Vulcan felt himself being lifted right-side up and turned his head to the tall male in black and white. He greeted him with a slight snarl. "Oh great…it's the real traitor."_

"_What did I tell you?" Sinacide barked._

"_And what did I tell _you_, Lieutenant?" the man raised his voice, intimidating his officer with his six-foot five height. "Stand at ease!"_

_Celeste held her tongue. She dared not test her commander's patience, and it seemed as though he was in a foul mood._

_The man sighed, diverting his black and white eyes to the sorcerer before him. Cupping his hands behind his back, he pinned Vulcan with a no-nonsense look. "We meet again, Vulcan."_

_The sorcerer hissed and looked away. "Piss off, Renoa. I've got nothing to tell you or your goons."_

"_Vulcan, I realize that you are not the culprit behind this crime."_

"_Then why am I being blamed for it?" Vulcan decided to meet Roland Renoa's entrancing stare with bile. "Why am I becoming the antagonist?"_

_Alas, Renoa hunched his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I can't say much on the matter."_

"_It's politics as usual…," Vulcan gave up trying to milk the truth out of Renoa._

"_Fortunately, however, I can point you in the right direction as to what we believe the NEXUS' objective is at the moment."_

"_I could care less," Vulcan hissed. "For what they did to Rinoa and Melody…I'll destroy NEXUS."_

_Roland chuckled a little at that declaration. "You couldn't defeat Sion, and I assure you that there are member of that organization who far surpass you and Sion…Julia is not an adversary to be underestimated."_

_Julia…the enticing yet fearful silhouette of the organization's leader flashed through Vulcan's mind. Indeed, the other twenty Superiors—Sion included—stood behind her in the shadows were perhaps the strongest foes Vulcan ever faced. No, it would be impossible for Vulcan to defeat all of them alone and he knew it. But he would rather go at it alone than to rely on Roland. "Whatever, I'll still take them on!"_

"_Don't be a fool, Vulcan," Renoa argued. "I know the situation is not exactly favorable, but--"_

"_You can do something about it!" the sorcerer snapped back, surprising both Renoa and Sinacide. "You've fucked me over and probably ruined the friendship of the only friends I have in this world! All I have is my objective now and it damn sure has nothing to do with your plans on taking down NEXUS!"_

_The sorcerer displayed his resourcefulness, unlocking the cuffs with the key he snagged from one of the guards earlier, and standing up. Tossing the handcuffs onto the table, his sword materialized in his hand from a burst of light._

"_That sword was in our evidence locker!" Sinacide exclaimed. "How did he…?"_

"_I'm a sorcerer, remember?" Vulcan reminded her in an arrogant tone. "I _will_ destroy NEXUS and avenge Rinoa and Melody, but I'll do it on my terms! You and the other three generals will pay for double-crossing me as well!"_

"_You must understand, Vulcan!" Renoa tried to dispute. "We had no choice! It was the only way to learn what NEXUS is after! Imagine how Caraway feels now that his daughter is in a coma!"_

"_Save it, Renoa! Your words sound like gibberish to me at this point. I've listened to you once, but I won't make that same mistake twice!"_

"_You're making an enemy of the IGPF?" Sinacide challenged as her military bearing took over whilst staring down the sorcerer. "How do you propose you will escape from this facility if you are, Vulcan?"_

_Vulcan's mouth creased as he walked up to Sinacide, looking down at the shorter woman. "You may be an ace pilot of mechs, but when it comes to combat, I outclass you and your other pathetic Special Forces."_

_Celeste scowled. That bearing went flying out of the window. "Wanna take a shot?"_

"_Anytime!"_

"_That's enough, you two!" Renoa intervened. He stepped in and pushed the two back, alternating his gaze between them. "That's enough of this infighting, Sinacide! King Vulcan isn't our enemy, and Vulcan…we are your friends! We're going to get through this, but I need you to work with me!"_

"_Fuck you, Roland," Vulcan growled, shouldering his weapon and sauntering to the door as it opened. "From now on, I work alone!"_

"It's because of your commanders that I'm hated by those who know about the God Complex and the Sorcery Seven incident, even though I had no involvement in it whatsoever," Vulcan continued to explain to Squall. "I'm their scapegoat—a sorcerer who had a simple mission turn into a nightmare. I don't consider you guys my enemies, but whether you guys share the same feelings isn't up to me at this point. Believe the memories Zeus displayed, or not. The choice is yours, Squall."

And just like that, the sound of glass shattering deafened their ears as the world of darkness around them came crashing down. They returned to the same bridge leading to Cid's office, and their spectators continued to watch them as if time stood still around the two warriors.

"Squall!" Zell called out. "You okay?"

"One second a sphere of darkness engulfs them," Irvine commented to his colleagues, "and the next they're back. What was the point of King's attack?"

Quistis spared Irvine an answer, "I don't believe it was an attack. Squall remains untouched."

Tifa and Cloud wondered the same thing whilst Shadow stood at the rear, arms crossed over his chest. "A massive amount of power," Shadow said under his breath, "but was it for nothing?"

He would soon find out as Vulcan approached Squall, limping in his stride. "I've used up most of my energy showing you," he smiled, falling onto one knee. Still, he looked up at his friend, a ray of hope shining in his eyes. "The choice is yours, Squall. Cut me down, or…"

The answer was obvious to Squall, but unforeseen by everyone else.

"What the hell are you doing?" Seifer yelled. "He's practically finished!"

"What's he thinking?" Zell wondered himself.

Quistis had a feeling this would be the result, and her intuition guided her true once again as the bridge once burned began to rebuild itself. And it all began with the help of Squall.

Taking Vulcan's hand, Squall raised him back on his feet. Catching him as the sorcerer tripped, he bore the weight of his advers—his friend on his shoulder.

Vulcan smiled. "Thanks, my friend…"

"You're not the enemy," Squall said loud enough for everyone to hear. His fists tightening at his sides, he looked to sky through the fiberglass ceiling, the stars fading as hints of orange invaded the early morning. "Our enemy is…"

**To Be Continued…**

"…_It's NEXUS."_


	27. Truth

**Episode 26: Truth**

NEXUS was the enemy, Squall said. The Parliament seemed flabbergasted by Leonhart's words. Sethlans King—the sorcerer who betrayed their organization by killing their top solider—was not their enemy. Seifer wasn't buying this…not one bit.

"Have you lost your mind, Squall?" Seifer snapped, shooting an accusing finger towards Vulcan. "This traitorous punk tried to destroy us, and now you're siding with him? Did you already forget about him placing that spell on Rinoa?"

"Vulcan wasn't responsible for Rinoa's tragedy," Squall fended for Vulcan as the sorcerer wobbled on his feet, barely able to stand as he clutched his chest and panted. "I know the truth. In order to save Rinoa, we need to find the Omega of NEXUS."

Seifer snorted and shook his head. "You fell for the sorcerer's tricks, huh? I expected better out of you, at least, Squall. But you let his illusions get the best of you!"

Seifer unsheathed his one-handed gunblade, Hyperion, aiming the tip of the blade at King as he took his swaggering stance. "Tcch, if you want something done, you have to do yourself! Raijin! Fuijin!"

Without a second thought, his two subordinates brandished their weapons and stood by their captain's side. "Sir!" they exclaimed in unison, zeroing in on Vulcan as he backs up.

"Whoa, hold on, Seifer!" Zell ran in front of Seifer. "It's hard for all of us to believe, but don't ya' think you should give Squall a cha--"

Without any warning, Shadow appeared in front of Zell. Dincht gasped and jumped back at the sudden appearance of the ultimate life form, wondering how the hell he came from across the bridge with Cloud and Tifa to the midst of the Parliament! Regardless, Seifer wasn't one to back away from a fight, and it seemed as though Shadow was asking for one with the menacing look in his red eyes.

Of course, he always had that look on his face.

"What?" Seifer hissed. "You wanna a piece of me, freak?"

Shadow bothered to give no response, only raising his hand and extending his palm to Seifer's face.

Vulcan gasped, knowing exactly what Shadow wanted to do! "Shadow, no!" Vulcan screamed with the remaining fibers in his body. "Don't hurt my friends!"

Shadow looked over his shoulder and saw Vulcan hobbling over to stop him. He grunted, "Hmmph," dropping his hand and watching Vulcan struggle to make it in time.

Seifer saw his chance! "Don't look away from your opponent!" He thrust Hyperion, aiming for Shadow's heart!

Seifer gasped. He can't believe it! It was damn near impossible! Shadow…Shadow was…

"What the hell is this guy?" Irvine wondered under his breath, staring in a mixture of fear and awe at what was before him.

Shadow was standing behind Seifer, arms folded as he faced away from the swordsman. It was like he thought nothing of him—merely toying with Seifer! Eyes closed, he told Almasy, "Your sword will never be able to touch me. Not so long as I have_ it_."

"You bastard!" Seifer snarled, swinging his blade at Shadow again.

He missed—again! Seifer roared and stomped his foot. "Damn it!"

The black-haired enigma was beside Quistis, directing his glare towards Almasy still.

Seifer whipped around and charged Shadow. "You son of a bit--"

_**Clang!**_

His blade intercepting Seifer's, Seifer is just as shocked as everyone else as the figure's cloak wrapped around his light, macabre armor. "Cloud?" he shouted, trying to push Cloud away with his sword but failing.

A burst of mysterious energy from Strife knocked the blonde back, his subordinates hurrying to him. "Captain!"

Swiping his sword as he straightened himself again, Almasy sent a scowl Cloud's way. "You're defending that traitor too, Strife?"

Cloud shouldered his large sword, glancing back at Vulcan and Squall. "It was like I told Tifa," Cloud explained, "I'll never trust Sethlans King. He was a mere alias created to deceive us, but Vulcan…"

He planted his Buster Sword at his side and faced Seifer and the others with a face of pure resolve. "I can't let him die…not until we find _him_."

"Wake up!" Seifer yelled. "It's because of him that our organization was almost destroyed, and now you're all taking his side?" He snapped into his stance and pointed his sword at Strife. "I won't let his spell get the best of me! Even if I have to save Rinoa myself, I'll do it!"

"Seifer," Squall said under his breath, "you loved Rinoa, too."

"Seifer, don't you understand that I want to save Rinoa just as bad as you do?" Vulcan finally speaks up, despite his lack of strength at the moment. "We all do, but first we have to stop fighting amongst ourselves!" He shook his head and sighed, approaching the enraged Almasy with a slight limp, never taking his eyes off him. "If you wanna go save yourself, then so be it, but just know I'm gonna be right behind you! I won't lose another friend to them! You understand me, Seifer Almasy?"

Much to everyone's surprise, Vulcan grabbed Seifer by his collar, but the strange thing was that Almasy allowed him to do it! "This is no spell, Seifer!" the king continued to plead. "And deep down inside, you know it. Now snap out of it, and let's stop fighting!"

The air grows deathly cold, silence thickening the air as Seifer and Vulcan continued to peer into each other's souls for truth and resolution. Seifer knew it, didn't he? He knew Sethla—Vulcan's intentions were for the greater good. So, why did he continue to feel such animosity towards the sorcerer? Perhaps, he needed a scapegoat? Yes, he needed someone to blame…someone to blame aside from himself for not protecting Rinoa, right? But like Vulcan said, he needed to stop fighting and playing the blame game.

He needed to…trust his friend.

"Let me go," Almasy muttered.

Vulcan released his grip on Seifer's shirt collar and stepped back.

Seifer sheathed Hyperion and crossed his arms as he turned his back to King. "NEXUS again…this Omega is a part of that group?"

"Again?" Zell echoed. "You heard of them, Seifer?"

"It was because of one of those bastards that I got this damned scar," Almasy hissed, lowering his head as he favoring his forehead. "Sion…"

"Sion?"

"Yeah," Seifer nodded, looking over his shoulder at Vulcan. "Know him?"

Vulcan shook his head. "Too well…he's strong, but he's not even their strongest."

"You mean they're stronger guys like him?" Raijin groaned, slapping his hand over his face and moaning. "Not cool, ya know!"

Fuijin folded her arms and bowed her head. "Tough."

"NEXUS is led by a woman named Julia who supervises twenty of the organization's best agents, called Superiors," Vulcan explained. "Whoever this Omega guy is, he's gotta be one of those twenty…along with _him_."

"Do you mean that Sion?" Squall asked.

A shake of Vulcan's head. "No, not him. There's another Superior…the one that fought Zack that day."

"What?" Cloud came to Vulcan. "Is he the one responsible for Zack's disappearance?"

"I don't know, Cloud," Vulcan shrugged his shoulders. "He was the last person I saw with him before Sion took me out."

"This NEXUS group sounds like their as ruthless as they come," Irvine commented. "Typical Neo-Americans, I would guess."

"They aren't Americans, young Irvine," said another—an older woman. "The NEXUS Superiors are agents that share no common nationality, but a common goal."

The woman was dressed in a long, satin black dress, her black hair tied into a tight bun. The Parliament members, except for Cloud kneeled as she approached them. "What that goal is exactly is as mysterious as their presence in this world," she finished before stopping in front of Vulcan. She bowed her head. "It's been some time, King Vulcan."

She referred to him as a 'King'? The Parliament members' heads snapped up at her respectful greeting.

Vulcan, though, didn't seem to share the same feelings, a look of disgust on his visage. "It hasn't been long enough, half-sorceress."

"Hey!" Raijin jumped up and shouted, shooting his finger at Vulcan. "Watch your words around the Matron, ya know!"

Vulcan brushed off Raijin's demand with a simple snort and asked Edea, "You know what I came for, right?"

A nod from Edea, a sorceress Vulcan wasn't too fond of nowadays. "To find where _he_ is located. Cid and I knew you would return one day to here."

"And the welcoming committee as well, huh?" the sorcerer king sneered.

"Vulcan…"

"Save it, Edea!" Vulcan grabbed her wrist and scowled. "No more hiding the truth from me! I won't leave her without some answers!"

"King!" Quistis yelled as she and the others rose to their feet. "That's the Matron you're talking to like that!"

And Vulcan's reply was simply, "Shadow!"

Appearing beside the sorcerer king, Shadow faces the Parliament members as Vulcan pulls Edea along. "Keep them at bay," Vulcan commanded, "we're going upstairs."

Shadow held the green Chaos Emerald out and agreed, "Very well."

"Vulcan!" Squall stepped forward. "You're going too far now!"

"He's showing his true colors," Tifa remarked, watching Vulcan pull Edea into the stairwell as the door behind them slams shut.

"He is," Cloud agreed with a nod. "He's showing his hurt and frustration towards Cid and Edea."

"What're you talking about, Cloud?" Quistis intervened as she comes to the caped swordsman.

"In Vulcan's mind, they and the three Generals used and betrayed him."

"How is that?" Tifa interjected defiantly. "He betrayed _us_."

"As I said before," Cloud concluded, shouldering his Buster Sword whilst sauntering past the Parliament members, "there is a lot to this story that none of us know except them."

In the back of everyone's minds, Cloud was right. There were many mysteries behind the relationships between the Generals and Vulcan. It seemed on the surface that they were merely granting him amnesty and placing him above the law, but in reality it ran much deeper than any of them could imagine.

***

Vulcan nudged Edea away as they entered the office at the top of the stairwell, pinning the man sitting behind the desk with an icy glare. "I've come back for the truth, Cid. No more lies."

Cid rose from his chair and came to the front of his desk, adjusting his glasses before folding his arms behind his back. "We've protected you for this long, Vulcan," the leader of the Parliament reminded the sorcerer king. "We know that you weren't the one who orchestrated all that's happened these last few years."

"Then why do you allow everyone to think otherwise?" Vulcan roared, bashing his fist into the wall beside him. "Why does everyone here still think I'm a traitor?"

Edea turned to Vulcan with a pleading expression. "You must understand, Vulcan. It pained us as much to go through all of this. We all have higher-ups to obey, and this was no different, unfortunately."

Vulcan snorted. "Then Roland was the head honcho behind this then?"

Cid shook his head. "General Renoa was under the same orders as us, as well as Aramaki and Caraway."

That didn't make any sense. None of them ordered it? But if that was the case…, "Who ordered it then?" Vulcan pressed, standing toe to toe with Cid. He resisted the urge to grab the taller old man by his orange sweater to extract the truth.

Edea narrowed her icy blue eyes on the king, as if peering into his soul. "The name crossed your mind," she answered, a chilling tone in her voice.

It did…it did! Him? "No way?" Vulcan gasped. He clenched his fists and teeth, unable to control the violent shaking in his body. "You've gotta be kidding!" he screamed from the top of his lungs, not caring if the Parliament heard him downstairs. "Out of all the people…him?"

He lost his mind, screaming and slamming his fist into the ground over and over into the ground, envisioning the visage of the culprit each time he punched the floor. "That bastard—that snobbish son of a bitch! I'll make him pay!"

Another bash of his fists and a crater appeared below the sorcerer, his power frightening even himself at the moment as his rage consumed him. "_I'll make him pa-a-a-a-ay!_"

"King Vulcan!" Cid called out amidst the sorcerer's screaming. "Please calm down!"

He stopped upon hearing Cid's voice, panting as he rested on all fours, sweating pouring down his face. That man…he wouldn't forget to make him pay for all of his sorrows. Because of him, he almost lost the things he cherished most in life.

His friends…

"We have had doubts about his reasons as well," Edea clarified, "but we cannot question them. He is a Lord, after all."

Vulcan's head remained bowed. "You're a Matron, and Cid, you're a Lord too."

Cid shook his head at that logic. "Even so, it wasn't our place."

Finally gaining his bearing, the sorcerer sighed and got back onto his feet. "Whatever, pass the buck all you want. Just tell me what I need to know."

"The Guardian's location, correct?" Edea inquired. Vulcan nodded and she continued. "Strange, however, that as a sorcerer you cannot sense the presence of the jewel he protects. I can feel it, though it is faint."

"I skipped out on that day of class," Vulcan drawled, rolling his eyes. "Give me a location, half-sorceress."

She took a step forward. "The Sky Babylon—the floating islands on Earth One."

"The Sky Babylon?" he echoed. "I heard of that place, but isn't that a pirate's getaway?"

Edea nodded. "Yes, but that is where I sense the jewel. I have a feeling NEXUS realizes its location as well."

"Then they'll be on his tail too," he gathered, dusting himself off and turning for the door. "I guess Squall will be heading for the Sky Babylon too."

"They know?" Cid gasped. "Wait, Vulcan! Why did you--"

"I'm not gonna be a criminal to my only friends!" Vulcan snapped without looking back at the Parliament leader. "I could give a rat's ass about your orders!"

Cid couldn't exactly argue with him. If anybody was even close to understanding how hurt Vulcan was, it was Cid. He was hurt as well when he was given the orders those years ago. Those years built up a lifetime of hatred in Vulcan's heart, which was most unfortunate. It was the price he had to pay, though, for following orders.

Cid bowed his head. "Yes, I'm sorry, Vulcan."

Vulcan grunted, stepping through the threshold of the opening door when Edea spoke up, "Vulcan, do you plan on attending Lord Phoebus' party?"

"Sorry," he replied, smiling to himself. "I have a prior engagement."

Edea knew exactly what he meant, and she didn't like it. "Maelstrom."

"I don't wanna hear anything from you, half-sorceress. The two of us have some unfinished business to settle."

"The two of you are our race's future," she told him. "You should be working together."

"Sorry, but I work alone."

"Then why Shadow and Cloud?"

He looked over his shoulder and smirked at them. "They're just along for the ride," he waved as he walked out of the room. "Adios, amigos."

Cid waited for the door to shut to ask his wife. "Should we warn him, Edea?"

Edea shook her head. "Knowing him, he already foresaw Vulcan's arrival. Either way, it's out of our hands now." She walked over to her husband, wrapping her hands around his waist. "We must focus on NEXUS now."

"Yes, if we owe anything to King Vulcan, it's to at least bring down the organization that framed him."

"But this will be our toughest challenge yet. I sense many great forces amongst their ranks, the strongest I've ever felt. Our children," she buried her head into his chest, sighing, "I don't think they are ready for such opponents."

"Hopefully," he placed a hand over the back of her head, smiling, "this upcoming journey will help them grow stronger."

She felt the same way. "Yes, I hope so as well."

Cid looked up the ceiling, another person in his thoughts. "And also, I hope my son isn't getting himself into trouble again. We'll need his help as well to get through this."

***

"Achoo!"

Her long, bunny ears twitching at the loud sneeze, the beautiful woman at the cockpit continued to type in the coordinates on the navigational computer of the small airship, Strahl. "Caught a cold?" she asked the man sitting in the back reading a book in her usual stern tone.

Sniffling as he turned a page, the charismatic blonde smiled. "Doubtful, my dear, Fran. We haven't been anywhere dreadfully cold yet."

Fran grunted. "Considering we left Ganymede, and the fact that you neglected to dress properly," she reminded him in a I-told-you-so way, "shall I set the coordinates for Earth Two? You said you wanted to attend Lord Phoebus' event."

The man rested the side of his head in his hand as he folded his legs, lowering the book from his eyes for a moment. "I'm touched that you care, Fran and no…I doubt Lord Phoebus has anything truly valuable. Let's return to Earth One and continue our previous search."

"You still wish to search for _that_, Balthier?"

Balthier smiled. "Of course…according to my father's private files, its value is priceless."

"Even so, I sense a great darkness surrounding it."

"Ah yes," Balthier wagged his finger, standing up to stretch. "Viera are sensitive to such ominous events, but have you forgotten that you're with me, Fran? The leading man never dies."

She didn't forget, but she didn't believe it either. Alas, she fought the urge to remind him that he was indeed not invincible. "Setting coordinates," she said, typing in a few more words. "We'll arrive by noon tomorrow."

Balthier looked up and grinned. He could see the adventure that awaited him on Earth One through his own eyes. This was the reason why he left the Parliament. The freedom of a space pirate…it was the only life for him. His father didn't agree with such a thing, but he didn't really care. He and his father never did see eye-to-eye anyway.

Still, he knew of the dangers behind seeking the mystical jewels of Chaos, but it wouldn't be fun without a little excitement, right?

"Into the darkness we plunge again," he said to himself.

**To Be Continued…**


	28. The Tool

**Episode 27: ** The Tool

* * *

The showdown of wills grew more intense as Shadow welcomed the oncoming glares from the Parliament with his own murderous gaze. He stood between them and Vulcan, and yet none of them dared to test him. Did they take to heart the show of force he demonstrated when he faced Tifa earlier on?

_"_Sethlans_!" exclaimed a female from the top of her lungs._

_A thunderous blow to the sorcerer's face set off a shockwave that made even Shadow cringe slightly. Tifa Lockhart's punch sent Vulcan flying far past Cloud and Shadow, blood from the sorcerer's nose serving as the trail as he rolled to a stop face-first onto the ground. The two saw Vulcan lie motionless behind them, and personally didn't blame him. Hell, it would have been a miracle if Vulcan's was breathing after a punch like that._

_"Move—now!" she commanded, cocking her bloody gloved fist back for another powerful punch to the next unlucky individual. Judging by who stood in her path towards Vulcan, it was none other than Shadow._

_Shadow, however, met her mighty straight with his, creating another deafening explosion of sound. Without effort, the ultimate life form matched the Bravo Sector Chief's attack! Tifa gritted her teeth as the shockwave's gusts threatened to blow her away. It amazed her how Shadow didn't even seem affected…he barely flinched!_

_Another punch—this time Shadow blocked with both of his forearms. She was sure he felt the impact from that attack as it pushed him back a little. She soon got her answer as he lowered his arms to pin her with his crimson eyes. _

_"Not bad, for a human. Still, you're no match for me."_

To think Shadow was able to take Tifa's attacks like they weren't much was mind-boggling to the Parliament. Out of all of the members, Tifa had the rawest power, but Shadow…staring into the pools of blood his creator deemed eyes, Lockhart glimpsed a portion of what Shadow was truly capable of.

Needless to say, it shook her up a little. She was amazed Seifer didn't see it. By his swag, he seemed unfazed by Shadow's intimidating presence. Seifer was a brave warrior, and faced some of the toughest adversaries, but Shadow was like none they ever faced before.

Then again, maybe Seifer did realize that fact. After all, he didn't attack him…yet.

"Why are you with Sethlans…," Quistis shook her head as she corrected herself, "I mean—Vulcan, Shadow? Why did he release you from your prison?"

Shadow blinked a couple of times before answering, "He promised me my memories."

"Your memories?" Irvine echoed.

"When Shadow was released from his chamber by NEXUS," Vulcan began to explain, the door opening and allowing him to step through, "he was struck with amnesia. All he knows is his name. I can help him unlock his memories and show him what he truly is, but I made a deal for him to help me on my journey in exchange for my services."

"You're using him," Squall simplified, his usual cold tone not catching Vulcan off-guard.

Vulcan shrugged, meeting eyes with the ultimate life form. "Yeah, guess you could say that. But I don't think he really minds. I mean, he's using me as well in a way."

"The IGPF will be after you for taking him," Quistis reminded him. "You realize that, right, Vulcan?"

"Of course, Quiss, but it won't take Roland and his men to realize that NEXUS is our true enemy. In fact," the sorcerer rubbed the tip of his chin and smiled. "I'm pretty sure that they do."

"Then I suppose all of our paths will cross eventually?" Squall noted.

Vulcan gave him a nod in agreement. "Of course…we're all in this fight together. NEXUS is the center of all of our troubles. I don't know about the World Heroes, but we all have a bone to pick with those guys."

"For Rinoa…"

"Not just her," Seifer added with a scowl and shaking fist. "That loser, Sion…"

"Not to mention the one who allegedly killed Zack," Cloud placed his two cents onto the table.

All of which earned nods from the sorcerer king. "Trust me; with the way things are going…we may be facing all of the Superiors! Like I said before, they aren't to be underestimated—especially Sion!" Vulcan's head snapped to Seifer, surprising the blonde a little with the sense of urgency in his voice. "Sion is no doubt one of the strongest members of NEXUS! Don't let your guard down for a second when facing him!"

"I don't need you to babysit me, King!" Seifer snapped.

Vulcan snorted and pointed to _that_. "Then tell me how you got that scar on your face, Seifer?"

Seifer grunted, favoring the scar across the bridge of his nose.

"The scary part about that, Seifer, is that he could have cut you in half with how slow you were moving," Vulcan scolded even more, though his face showed much concern. "I'm still not on that guy's level, so don't think I'm not in the same boat as the rest of you."

"All of you are pathetic."

Everyone stopped and looked to the entity standing in the midst of them. Arms below his chest, he continued to speak in his cool manner, "that man's speed is nothing compared to mine. If the time comes to face him, _I'll_ take him."

"Who the heck you calling pathetic?" Zell sent a scowl Shadow's way.

And Shadow merely grunted with a, "Hmmph," and answered, "All of you humans…Vulcan included."

"Heh, don't get too confident," Vulcan retaliated with a smirk. "Tifa gave you trouble, but then again, she's one tough customer."

"Vulcan…" Tifa uttered to herself while he continued on.

"The point is that we all need to have each other's back if we're gonna beat these guys."

"Vulcan is right, everyone."

The door to the upper office opened once again, and Cid and Edea stepped through the threshold. Cid went on, "NEXUS is unlike any opponent we've faced before in the past. Against them, we cannot afford to make any mistakes."

"You're all beating a dead horse," Shadow pointed out blankly. "I just said _I _will take care of them. If that's what it takes to find out who I really am, then so be it."

Vulcan chuckled to himself. _'My promise…that's the only reason he's going that far…'_

"Vulcan, I have a request to make."

The sorcerer turned his head to Cid, and opened an ear to hear out his so-called request.

Much to the Parliament's surprise, Lord Cid and Matron Edea bowed their head. "I ask that you help my son," Cid pleaded. "I have a bad feeling that he is involved with a certain NEXUS Superior in one way or another."

"Pretty boy?" Vulcan gasped slightly, looking around himself. "That's right. I haven't heard any smart remarks from him all night. Did he leave the Parliament?"

Edea nodded. "Yes. He became a space pirate, even though we were against it. He saw it as a dream, but we see it as a life of constant danger."

"But why would that make him involved with NEXUS?"

"Don't you know?" Cid looked up at the king with a quizzical face. "One of the NEXUS Superiors is a Pirate Lord."

"Perhaps he knows about what happened with Zack and the other Superior," Cloud approached Vulcan coolly, carrying his sword on his armor-plated shoulder. "We should seek him out as well."

"That pirate's name is Sinbad—Sinbad Raine," Cid added, shaking his head. "I know Balthier is strong, but against NEXUS…he could be in danger."

Another promise to keep…the thought made Vulcan laugh. But then again, he did owe Balthier for that 'one time'. Not to mention, if he ran into Balthier, his lovely companion wouldn't be far behind. Vulcan's devious smile was clear as day as he nodded his head. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

"Cloud," Tifa spoke up, running to Strife and grabbing him by his shoulder, "does that mean you're going to continue traveling with _him_?"

Cloud nodded once. "Until I find Zack, I'll follow Vulcan. I won't return to the Parliament until I find him."

Tifa dropped her hand, her eyes lingering away from her childhood friend. There was more that she wanted to say, but how could she word it? And would he forgive her once she said those words?

She wouldn't know until she tried, right?

She took a chance, "Sethlan—I mean, Vulcan?"

His eyes met hers. "Yeah?"

Silence. Why couldn't she say anything? She knew that Vulcan wasn't the one responsible for her grief, right? It felt right blaming him for everything, but knowing now that it was indeed NEXUS that was to blame…why couldn't she maintain eye contact with him? It was pathetic.

"Don't worry," he told her with his usual, uplifting smile. "I'll keep Cloud in line."

"No," she shook her head, "it's not that."

Just when she decided to look up, she felt a body of warmth embracing her. It overwhelmed her, but at the same time it put her at ease. Slowly, her shaking fists uncurled and dropped at her sides, and the weight on her heart lifted.

"It's okay, Tifa," Vulcan whispered in her ear, tightening his hug. "We're still friends, right?"

It no longer felt weird for her to say, "Yes, we're friends, Vulcan."

He smiled as she returned the embrace. "That's a good thing, because I'd hate to have to take another one of your punches."

* * *

The tears rolling down the cheeks and wrinkles of the middle-aged man bound to the bed by his hands and legs failed to tug at the heart strings of his three captives as they stood near his bedside. The never-ending party downstairs at the Artemis High Roller Casino seemed like an eternity away to the man as he whimpered, "Even if you kill me…what makes you think it'll change the fate of your organization…NEXUS is a dying organization chasing a farfetched dream…," he coughed up blood, probably a side effect, "The Americans have already given up hope for you fools, so what's the point?"

He looked to the silver-haired man standing at the door grilling him with an apathetic expression. The entire time he stood there, holding his sheathed katana at his side and watching him with those hollow, brown eyes. The man hacked up more blood and yelled with a hoarse voice, "You don't give a damn in the end, do you? Yeah, I've heard about you…Sion the Silent Superior of NEXUS." He chuckled, "More like the Tool."

"Say what you want," Sion said impassively, "your fate has already been decided."

"Then why torture me?" the man bawled. "Just put me out of my misery already, you twisted son of a bitch!" Another cough-up of blood, "You allow that bitch there to cut the skin from my bones, and I can't even black out because of the drug you slipped into my vodka earlier." He moaned before another cough plagued him. "You three have been tracking me, why?"

"The details of our mission are none of your concern," Ryoko briefed him, a rather harsh tone considering her usual cool demeanor, "Torture isn't something I enjoy, by the way, but…," she came to the nightstand by the bed and grabbed his wallet, searching through it. "In some cases, it's a must for people like you." She pulled out an ID and a small envelope before throwing the wallet in the man's face. "People who decide the fates of nobodies like me. Those who support tyrants and allow empires to walk all over countries that wishes only for peace."

Through his blurry vision, he noticed Ryoko's skin tone. He then put two and two together and chuckled, though the blood threatening to erupt cut it short, "An Eleven are you? Heh, the Americans never gave a rat's ass your country."

Ryoko snorted, turning her back to him and gripping the sheathes of the katanas hanging from her back by invisible strings. "I'm half-Japanese…my father was a Federation soldier who died for what we have today. My mother…I could care less about her or Japan. Japan was a country that refused change, but at least they had honor—unlike the Americans."

The man couldn't help but laugh at the irony in her words. "And yet your organization serves the Neo-US. A cruel twist of fate, wouldn't you say?"

Another grunt came from Ryoko, her beret falling to cover her left eye as she came to Sion.

"Is that it?" Sion asked her.

She nodded. "Yes, Superior."

"Then our business here is done."

"Wait!" the man screamed. "You're just gonna leave me here?"

"You're no longer my problem," Sion answered, standing at the threshold of the door.

"You bastard! Once I get free, NEXUS is dead! You hear me! The IGPF is already wise to your organization, and it's only a matter of time until--"

The man suddenly choked on a gasp, his face growing pale as his eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets. His heart raced and sweating drenched his wrinkled face.

"There is no freedom for tyrants such as you," Ryoko told him as the door closed behind her. "There's only a great fall for one with such overbearing pride."

The door slammed shut and darkness cast itself on the man bound to the bed.

"Mission complete," Sion said to himself as they walked down the corridor to the elevator.

Raijin and Ryoko nodded in agreement. Sion never was one for words after a mission. No debrief, just silence. It suited them fine, though. Being with Sion for years, the silence was no longer uneasy, but comforting. The door to elevator opened and a green-haired man stepped out, clad in a slightly dirty blue suit. He smiled and waved Sion off. "Pardon me."

Sion stepped aside and allowed him passage. Sion entered the elevator with the others and watched the man as the doors closed.

"Sir, that man," Ryoko spoke up as the elevator began its descent, "was he heading towards…?"

"Whether he does or not is none of our concern, Ryoko," Sion countered. "The objective has been cleared. Thinking outside of the mission parameters is not an agent's job."

Ryoko bowed her head. "Yes, sir. Forgive me."

"We are tools—tools of NEXUS. That's our fate, now until the true objective has been fulfilled."

Ryoko and Raijin realized that. When working under Sion, you knew that you were a tool and nothing else. That was all you were good for.

* * *

Standing at the door, Spike was unable to rid himself of his slack-jawed expression. "What the hell?"

The bounty...he was bound to the bed…foaming at the mouth! Shaking his head as he tried to break free from his shackles, it was apparent that he lost all sanity. But how did he get like this? Did someone get to him before Spike could bring him in?

And the drug…It was _that_, wasn't it?

Spike couldn't bear to see any more. He patched him through on the radio and reported the bad news. "Jet, you're not gonna believe this."

**To Be Continued…**


	29. Zero Error

"Sorry, but the name is Poseidon!"

Sion felt the world around him shatter into millions of pieces as the IGPF Special Forces operative sent him through the wall into the casino with a devastating punch. Transforming his fist into a high-pressured blast of water, Poseidon caught the Nexus Superior off-guard and smiled as he watched Sion hurdle into the kitchen.

"How's that for an introduction!" Poseidon giggled, laughing louder as flames burst from the stoves Sion crashed into. Raijin and Ryoko groaned whilst rising to their feet and the long, blue-haired teenager grunted. "You guys having fun yet?"

The IGPF grunts surrounded the gang, training their rifles on their opposition. Poseidon protested though, "Hey, let them at least play for a little while!"

The rogue agent disguised as a casino girl scowled, looking back at Poseidon with widened eyes. _'How the hell did the IGPF catch onto this operation?'_ she thought to herself, a drop of sweat running down her cheek. _'They sent the Special Forces! Did they know that man would be here?'_

Raijin drew his sword and pointed it at Poseidon. Ryoko reached around to the small of her back for her twin katanas and looked behind her. Poseidon closed his eyes and smiled at Raijin then Ryoko. "You're pretty cute!"

Ryoko's head snapped back to Poseidon and grunted. "Is that right?"

"A shame it'd never work out. There's no way I could date a middle-aged woman."

Out the corner of his eye, Raijin swore he saw a vein appear on Ryoko's forehead. She seethed stammering, "Middle…aged…? I'm hardly 25!"

"Really? You look 35!"

"That's it!"

Before Ryoko could rush blindly towards the smart-mouthed teen, Raijin blocked her with his free arm. Using his sword arm, he swiped the air and created an air sickle aimed at the roof. Sharp enough to cut through steel, the air sickle exploded upon impact near the edge of the roof. Rubble fell to the side of them, Raijin's golden eyes narrowing into thin slits as if he sensed a presence above them.

Poseidon's cobalt eyes opened slightly as he turned his head to Raijin. "Cool move."

Raijin raised her head, pinning him with a homicidal stare.

"He sensed me," a distorted voice said within the smoke of the rubble.

The red-haired casino girl gasped as a silhouette appeared in smokescreen. A sinister figure stepped out of the smolder, a black cloak concealing its figure. A cut of white shined out of the hood, focusing on Raijin as he kept his sword trained.

"Another Special Forces agent," she growled as the cloaked operative stepped in front of Poseidon. She looked around and saw the soldiers stand at port arms.

"Weren't you invisible?" Poseidon asked his taller colleague.

He snorted. "The only way he could sense me was if he…"

A flash of light! With an explosion of energy, Poseidon burst into a pool of water as Sion attacked with a charging sword stab. Rematerializing as Sion skidded to a stop next to the red-haired agent, Poseidon chuckled, "I'll have fun with this guy!" Whipping himself around to Sion, he fired jets of water from his hands.

Sion quickly pushed the woman out of the way and charged Poseidon through the middle of the hydro blasts, slashing at the boy once again. Once more, Poseidon became a puddle as Sion's sword cut through him but immediately reformed himself to uppercut him hard to the sky. Laughing to himself, he took to the air as a geyser erupted beneath his feet in pursuit of the Nexus operative.

"That bastard," the girl grumbled, getting back onto her feet and observing the sky show. "This isn't good, at all."

"Your mission will fail," said the cloaked Special Forces soldier. "Z.E.R.O. and Nexus will begin their downfall today."

"Z.E.R.O.?" Ryoko echoed.

He looked back to Ryoko. "I see not even you were informed of them. No matter…behind prison bars you'll never see their organization's destruction."

"As if you know everything about our group!" the woman shouted.

"The Inter-Galactic Police Force is the primary militia of the United Space Federation Alliance. There is nothing here or Earth One that we don't know about, and the Special Forces," he chuckled, the distortion in his voice evident, "well let us say we've done our research on both Z.E.R.O. and Nexus. We may have only cracked the outer shell of Nexus, but unfortunately for your organization, your information isn't protected by a government, Kallen Kozuki."

Kallen hissed, pointing her pistol at the back of his head.

"I wouldn't do that," he warned, the cocking of rifles all around startling her. All of the soldiers had their guns pointed at her head. "Not as though it would do any good."

Just as she started to wonder why, she got her answer. Letting down his hood, he revealed himself as a man clad in full body armor, sleek black with a peculiar helmet protecting his head. He turned his head to Kozuki, his visage masked by the visor. He pointed a gloved finger her way. "Ghosts of the past cannot be erased from the present."

"What the hell are you babbling about?" Kallen hissed.

Levitating slightly from the ground, he disclosed himself as, "I am the Special Forces Member: Phantom."

'_So, he was the one responsible for what happened to Ohgi.'_

Kallen read the report from her long-time associate, Ohgi Kaname, on an operation that failed because of interference from the IGPF, but more specifically—the Special Forces Phantasma Unit who was rumored to be led by a Special Forces member with supernatural powers. It was obvious that Phantom was that member but what exactly was he? No doubt the soldiers that surrounded them were the Phantasma Unit, but with their commander in the midst…

Kozuki groaned, lowering her gun as Phantom turned to her. The mental image of Ohgi in the psychiatric ward after recovering from the operation circulated in her brain and fueled the flames raging inside of her heart. Seeing Villetta console her husband as he continued to hyperventilate his words…it enraged Kallen.

"_The spirits sing, the spirits wail, they all tell me a painful tale."_

What did those words mean? Better yet, what did the Phantasma Unit do to him? Silent and willing to follow their commander's orders to the letter, their appearance was haunting—their armor and helmets resembling their master with their haunting black exteriors. And now…Kallen faced them.

"A supernatural," Kozuki murmured, "I guess you're the leader of the Special Forces?"

A good guess, Phantom laughed. However, he had to be the bearer of the bad news as he approached the Japanese woman. "Is that what you believe?" He snorted, "You and the boss…she commended you, and she even said the two of you are near equals. However, she then said that was in the past."

"Your boss knows who I am?"

"Enough of this," Ryoko interrupted. "Let's get this over with."

"In a hurry to die?" Phantom teased as he turned to Raijin and Ryoko. "Very well, let us begin the performance. Who shall it be first?" He motioned for either one of them to charge him. "Better yet, I'll take on both of you."

Raijin stepped forward to the challenge. "I will be your opponent," he said, pointing to Ryoko. "Ryoko, take the woman and go."

"Wait," Ryoko moaned, pushing on Urimori, "you can't take this guy alone."

"You can't fight him with your eyes," he argued without raising his tone.

"My eyes? What do my eyes have to do with anything?"

Raijin bore no reply and readied his blade, taking his stance against Phantom.

Ryoko huffed, glancing at Kallen then back at her partner. "Fine then. Make it quick."

A nod from Raijin and he said, "Of course."

Ryoko didn't know whether to trust Raijin on his decision or not, hell the man rarely spoke and now all of a sudden he was willing to fend off a Special Forces member by his lonesome? She wondered about Raijin and his role as Sion's subordinate once before, and she remembered a shocking revelation about the two's relationship. Her role as Sion's lesser would never change, however Raijin and Sion…

"Let's go!" Ryoko wasted no time in her stride, dashing past Kozuki and drawing her twin katanas. She retaliated to the soldiers' immediate gunfire, crossing her swords in front of her as she zigzagged towards them. "Sword Art: Doragon Hane-Katanas!"

Thrusting her swords to her sides, Ryoko resembled a dragon charging into the heat of combat with its wings stretched afar. She broke through the line of defense, much to their chagrin and whipped around to Kallen and yelled, "C'mon! Let's go!"

Kallen didn't argue, watching Phantom from the corner of her eye as she made a run for it. The soldiers on the other side started to chase her, but—

"Don't," Phantom told them, never taking his attention away from Raijin. "They won't get far, I promise. Besides, this man should prove to be entertaining."

Without turning away, he thrust his hand out to the fallen group of grunts behind him. "Arise, my Phantasma!"

They obeyed, rising slowly to their feet as Raijin rushed Phantom. The Special Forces operative wasn't one for fancy evasive maneuvers against Urimori's lightning-fast sword attacks, merely using subtle movements as he hovered to avoid the slashes. As Phantom flew back, the Phantasma Unit opened fired. Raijin fortunately deflected their gunfire by spinning around like a twister. Still, they persisted in their efforts, taking the fight to close-quarters, trying to overwhelm Raijin with their numbers.

No way would he allow that. Much to Phantom's shock, a swipe of Raijin's sword and its wind blew his men away. Floating high above for the birds-eye view, Phantom snorted at how quickly the Nexus agent disposed of his unit, however…

"Arise, my Phantasma!"

A wave of his hand and once again the soldiers came to their feet! It was as if Raijin's attacks didn't knock them unconscious! It should have, that was the problem. The battle damage on their bodies was there, but…Raijin grunted.

"The beauty of my men," Phantom gloated, "They're unable to be defeated. One of their many abilities as you'll find out the hard way, Nexus tool!"

Raijin lowered his weapon, looking around himself as the soldiers encircled him once again. Golden eyes staring off beyond the coarse exteriors of the Phantasma Unit, he saw _them_. They were the reason why they continued to live on.

Raijin twisted his katana sideways, bringing to eye-level. "I've found it."

Phantom made a noise. "What's that?"

***

"Why are you in a Neo-American organization?" Kallen pressured Ryoko as they hurried across the busy intersection to the other side. She had to yell over the blaring horns and cursing of civilians in their path, "You're Japanese, too, right?"

"Because I'm Japanese I'm automatically bound to your cause?" Ryoko replied with a rhetorical query, leading Kallen to another sidewalk. She made a sharp left into another alleyway. "Forgive me if I'm not exactly for the cause Z.E.R.O. is fighting for…even though you all claim not to be a terrorist organization."

"Then you know about us? That guy said--"

"He merely assumed I didn't know because of my reaction to the name. I know all about Z.E.R.O. and it's clear now why you sought us out. However, you've come after the wrong Nexus Superior. Sion isn't the least bit interested in your matters."

"I've only been told a little about him, but I know enough to know that too. I was told to bring him in by someone."

Ryoko looked back at Kallen, the light of the sun rising in the horizon creating a silhouette of her body as they came into the morning life of Artemis City. She made another sharp turn, this time to the right as they followed the pathway on the sidewalk. Pedestrians parted for the two as they made their way to another intersection. Ryoko stopped as did Kallen, the 'Don't Walk' light flashing beside them.

"Nexus may be funded by the Americans," Ryoko explained, catching Kozuki's attention as they met eyes, "but don't call us Neo-Americans because of it! We're an organization destined for greatness, and to be bound by such a dying nation as Neo-America is laughable."

"Then why have them fund your operations?" Kallen immediately inquired.

"We'll use whatever is needed in order to thrive and cut our losses once we've grown stronger."

"That's what you did to Britannia!"

"No, the Black Knights and Zero destroyed Britannia. We merely used them to learn…"

"To learn what?"

The 'Walk' sign flashed and Ryoko smirked. "Whatever our leader wanted."

She took off, breaking into another dash with Kallen behind her. Now that Kallen thought about it, aside from the Reaper Unit she and the Black Knights faced off against those years ago, she had no idea what Nexus' intentions were. She wasn't even sure if Britannia knew. Hell, did anybody know?

"_What the Lady seeks," Adell, the third Reaper, spoke as blood poured down his face. His mecha—Spectre—Iblis was in shambles, sparks flying about as its detonation grew nearer. Through the video transmission inside the Guren , Kozuki listened to her friend's final words, "what she seeks isn't war, but a utopia. Only through the downfall of society can we find Nirvana. It is only then can we see the Nexus."_

"_That is the purpose of your organization?" Zero pondered aloud, floating high above the scene inside of his Shinkiro. "A goal similar to that of us Black Knights. Then why side with Britannia?"_

"_It should be obvious for someone like you, Zero," Adell chided, barely able to lift his chin and smile. He coughed up more blood._

"_Because it would look bad on the Americans?"_

"_Of course, though the public knows nothing about us, we would be revealed if we sided with you. It was never personal. It's just how the game is played, as our leader would so eloquently put it."_

Adell…Kallen shook her head and continued following Ryoko down the streets of Artemis.

Unbeknownst to them, however, someone was watching them from a nearby rooftop. Clad in a golden IGPF Special Forces armored suit, it was none other than Trent McCloud, codename…

"Macabre here," he said over the radio earpiece, "they're headed towards your location."

A stern female voice came over the transmission, "You aren't going to block their way?"

"Of course not," he scowled. "I'm not doing your dirty work. Besides, I don't fight women."

A snort from the woman, "You and your honor code."

"That's not a damn code, stupid. It's a general rule of a man. Anyway, don't screw up like last time."

"I don't need your pessimism, asshole. I'll be fine."

McCloud's grunt was the only response as he turned away and disappeared from the edge of the roof.

***

"What did you mean by, 'You found it'?" Phantom growled, the distortion in his voice growing more ominous.

"You wondered whether or not if I was human," Raijin replied, swiping his sword in a downward motion. Suddenly, _it_ appeared and Phantom gasped as _it_ stretched and wrapped itself around half of Urimori's body. He continued, "With my eyes, I can see the spirits controlling these soldiers. Your men are nothing more than human-sized dolls."

"Impossible! So you _are_…"

The single crimson wing of Raijin Urimori flapped about and widened to the back as he aimed his sword at Phantom. His eyes displayed that murderous intent once again as he said,

"A demon or a dragon…either way, you're no match for me. Now, let us begin Act Two."

**To Be Continued…**

_A/N: Ryoko's attack, "Doragon Hane-Katanas" means 'Dragon Wing Blades' in Japanese. _


	30. Triangle Offense

The end of the line for them as a new opposition awaited them down the next alley they ventured in. The new foe wore a proud smirk, standing between them and freedom. Ryoko and Kozuki stared down this blockade, studying _her_ stance and how arrogant _she _eyed them. Her stunning body wrapped itself in skin-tight body armor dipped in a light hue of blue, glistening in the few rays of sunlight that dared to peek into the alleyway. In the mixture of shadows, however, her azure eyes gave off a haunting glow. There was no doubt in their minds that this was another Special Forces member standing in their way.

The female Special Forces agent finally spoke, "So much for your plan of escape. Did you honestly believe you can escape the IGPF on their home turf? Our HQ is based here, and every nook and cranny is mapped in detail for our use."

She stepped from out of the shadows and into the light. "Perhaps you should have thought of that before pulling off that stunt with Anderson, Nexus fool!"

"You knew about the operation?" Ryoko inquired to the blue-haired ponytail woman.

The woman snorted. "Heh, but of course. Anderson has been working for us this entire time. He told us of your meeting and we planned according. Our one chance to bring your organization down along with America…"

Snapping her right arm outward to her side, a humming glow of blue energy formed itself on her hand, transforming into an elongated laser blade. She chuckled as her eyes widened, zeroing in on Ryoko. "We're going all out!"

Ryoko quickly unleashed her blades, snarling as the Special Forces operative charged straight into them.

And now it was three-on-three.

* * *

**Episode 30:** Triangle Offense

* * *

"This is fun!" Poseidon of the IGPF giggled as he dodged Sion's speedy sword slashes with ease. It was as if they were coming at the boy in slow-motion, effortlessly weaving around the NEXUS agent's swipes and knocking him far back with another ferocious blast of water erupting from his small hands. "C'mon!" he taunted Sion, launching himself towards the operative and flying over his head. A mischievous grin plastered on his face, he spun wildly in mid-air and swiftly transformed himself into a water twister that threatened to ensnare Sion if he didn't moved quickly.

Sion acted as such, grabbing his katana moving in a flash of light to avoid the touchdown of the water tornado. Twisting his body as he jumped in the air, he slid as he landed, stopping himself completely by grabbing the asphalt of the rooftop with his fingertips and looking up. He rose to his feet, studying the human—superhuman cyclone. Had he been sucked into it…he grunted, pondering a strategy against the SF agent. He grabbed the hilt of Hakumei with his free hand and assumed his stance.

Poseidon somersaulted out of the top of the twister, laughing from the top of his lungs as he thrust his hands high over his hands. "Now for the big waterworks!"

Bursting out of the hydro typhoon was a gang of water-formed sea serpents. Twisting around the rooftop battlefield, the hydro snakes lashed out at Sion, though he hacked their heads off as they flew by. Poseidon didn't stop there, however, throwing his hands down and unleashing a wave of geysers as he yelled, "C'mon! You can play better than that!"

Sion ignored the boy's taunts, merely zipping around the geysers in quick bursts of light and beheading the serpents as they continued to circle the area. He managed to hop onto the top of one, running atop of its body and using it as a springboard to reach the floating Poseidon. Somersaulting through the air like a buzz saw with his katana extended, Sion finally entered within close-range of his opponent. Now he could take advantage of the battle!

Spinning out of his somersault, Sion whipped Hakumei far to his right, glaring a grinning Poseidon down as he uttered, "White Flash…"

Poseidon's smile soon disappeared as Sion swung his sword, overwhelming him with a flood of light.

* * *

The scaled blood red wing of Raijin Urimori stiffened as it stretched wide. A step forward and Phantom of IGPF Special Forces growled. He wasn't sure whether Urimori was bluffing about finding _them_ but he knew he was about to find out the hard way in a matter of moments. Phantom's senses of auras were higher than that of many humans, and from assessing Raijin's aura…he shuddered at the mere thought!

'_This can't be possible!'_ he hissed inside as Raijin continued to make his slow approach. _'No living being in this reality has that _distinct _aura! NEXUS…what the hell are they?'_

He stood by silently, watching his Phantasma soldiers bum-rush the NEXUS operative without giving them a warning of what they faced. It would do no good in the end anyway in his mind. _'Better yet…this man…no, he's not a man.'_

As he swung his sword and unleashed a crimson wave of energy, Phantom realized what Urimori truly was. His soldiers falling into their pools of blood, his _Phantasma _weakened by Urimori's presence, Phantom knew now that he needed to take this agent seriously. He may have not been a Superior, but he had the strength of one.

No, even more so…Phantom stretched his skinny metal arms afar, emitting a battle cry as large weapons materialized into his hands. He gripped the black scythes firmly and brought them to his chest, crossing them together in an 'X' formation. "Come then, alien of this world! Give me your performance!"

Raijin obliged without a single word, disappearing and reappearing in front of Phantom a split-second later. Phantom's scythe and Raijin's sword collided, scrapping against one another. Utilizing one hand as always for his katana, Raijin flipped over Phantom and lunged out with another sword stab, however, Phantom contorted his arm and deflected the stab with his scythe without facing Urimori! Urimori continued to use his speed, reappearing for a slash and disappearing once again but Phantom blocked every attempt of an attack!

This irritated the operative. Reappearing a little far from Phantom after his last speed burst, Raijin swung and cocked his sword back, sliding into a far back stance as he charged his power. Phantom's body must have been that of a machine, displaying movements inhuman as he turned his head, arms, and legs in Raijin's direction without turning his upper body! The shape of his armor, however, did share the same design in the front and back, so it didn't seem noticeable until he performed the bizarre action.

Either way, Raijin could care less.

"Crimson Tear…"

Swinging his sword with one hand, he released a wave of scarlet energy—a larger wave than his previous wave he used to eliminate the Phantasma in a single swoop. A technique used by Sion as well, it shared his Superior's force and Phantom met the wave with his scythes, slicing through the wave with ease and charging Urimori, cackling in his distorted tone. "Did you really think you could take _me_ with such a pathetic attack?" he mocked, his scythes meeting Raijin's katana once more. He pressed against his adversary, matching his strength though the NEXUS operative still utilized a single arm for power. Still Phantom taunted, "You better start taking me serious, or you'll die once again!"

Raijin displayed the slightest of surprised before raising his free hand. He aimed at Phantom's visor with two fingers as he continued to keep him at bay. Phantom grunted with bewilderment at the sudden mo—

"Wait! That can't be!" Phantom screamed, the shock in his indistinct voice clear as day.

Urimori answered his foe with two words.

"Crimson Lightning…"

The dark alleyway took on a bright red glow and a scream reverberated in the streets of Artemis. The glow faded and a loud plop was the last noise startling the citizens of the metropolis.

* * *

The humming of the Special Forces operative's laser blade kept Ryoko on her toes as she spun to the right to avoid the blue-haired vixen's speedy charge. Ryoko back-flipped and planted her feet on the wall, jumping immediately to the next wall far across higher above the ground. She managed to stick herself to the wall, leaning back and scowling as she prepared for her counterattack.

The woman laughed as she looked up at Ryoko. "You've got moves, lady," she complimented with her cocky grin. "But I can do much better, rookie."

_**Bang!**_

The woman froze, her breath escaping her as the bullet whizzed past her eyes. Licking her lips slightly, she clicked her tongue as her sapphire eyes averted to her left towards Kallen Kozuki. "Aha," she chuckled a little, turning to the armed casino bunny girl and disengaging her laser blade. "I hope that was a warning shot."

"Why the hell does the IGPF want Code Z.E.R.O.?" Kozuki shot at the woman.

"I don't have the time to answer these silly questions," she answered with a rolling of her eyes, planting a hand on her hip. "Just know that once I'm done with this NEXUS pawn, I'm coming after you, Kozuki, and I plan to finish what _you_ started seven years ago."

"Seven years ago…" Kallen wandered off in her words, a sudden memory flooding back to her. She gasped. "Wait! Are you…"

Before Kozuki could finish her question, the woman jumped to the side as Ryoko came crashing down to terra firma with her heel. Springing right off that same heel, Ryoko lunged for the SF agent, swords high above her head.

"The name is Talon!" she declared, leaping to meet Ryoko's swords with her steel-armored feet. Pushing one foot off a sword, she caught Ryoko off-guard and smiled as she twisted herself about with her other foot out to keep the other sword out of Ryoko's hand.

Ryoko gasped as she watched her sword fly out of her hand. She reacted quickly, grabbing the foot with her now free hand. Talon was much faster than Ryoko thought, however, bringing her other leg in quick enough to intercept Ryoko's sword arm. Beaming as they both landed on the ground, Talon, now on her hands, sprung her upper body back up to Ryoko and mocked her with a smooch as she grabbed the back of Ryoko's head and utilized the force of gravity to bend her far down. Though she fell on her back first, Talon's armor absorbed the shock, allowing her to throw Ryoko over her. Ryoko's grip slipped on Talon's leg and Kozuki jumped out of dodge as Ryoko flew into the trash bins.

Rolling back up to her feet, Talon looked over her shoulder at Kallen and the fallen Ryoko, laughing. "Looks like I don't even need my blade for losers like you two!" she taunted as she turned around to them. "Guess I won't need to go all out for this then. Now, Kallen…"

Kozuki's eyes met Talon's, the fire of a burning rivalry refueled within their stares.

"Let's see if your melee skills are as good as your mecha."

"So, you are that kid," Kallen snorted, crossing her arms below her breasts. "Since when was your name, Talon? I thought it was Celeste Sinacide?"

"Don't be a smartass," Celeste countered harshly yet still keeping her smile. "Merely a code name for the Special Forces…in any case, I think I'll keep you alive just so you can tell me what Code Z.E.R.O. and NEXUS' connection is."

"You'll never get any information out of me!"

Sinacide snickered at the rebellious tone in Kozuki's voice. She crossed her arms. "That's cute. You should give this charade up and join me. The two of us—such skilled pilots could rule the skies. The Crimson and Cerulean beauties of the IGPF…imagine what we could do, Kallen."

"Tempting offer," Kozuki grinned, tightening her fists, "but there's no way I'll side with turncoats like the Space Federation."

Celeste scoffed, closing her eyes for a moment. "A bitter Japanese woman until the end…," her eyes opened wide and her vicious side surfaced. "You all can't be satisfied with what we've done? Too much blood has been shed for peace, and it's still not enough for you!"

"The Space Federation could care less about Earth One. To you all, we're the last of a dying breed."

"So, you oppose all that Lady Nunnally has strived for? The unification of UFN and the USFA, not to mention the Frontier Project we as a human race have strived for since man landed on the moon. It's slowly becoming reality…the human race is able to live on multiple planets now, and _you_ oppose that?"

Kozuki's fists tightened more and she mirrored her rival's expression. "What we oppose is inequality! We Japanese are looked down upon in this economy. Can you honestly tell me a Japanese man or woman is able to make it in this type of environment, and you refuse to change? We're unable to conform and we're shut out from society, forced to make our own."

"Liar…you're afraid of the changes. You're too old-fashioned. Unable to keep up with the times, you try to live in the past. Did you know Refrain usage is at an all-time high and sixty-nine percent of the users are Japanese? Not surprising, is it?" She shook her head. "Sorry, Kallen but you can't stop time. But then again…"

Sinacide directed a finger Kallen's way and smirked. "I suppose that's why you turned to NEXUS. To defy the Gods…I would know seeing as I was raised under the creeps."

"Hmph," was Kozuki's only reply for the moment.

"We aren't Britannia…we aren't looking to rule the world. We want to change it to where all of us can live happily."

"And shun all those who can't conform to _your_ world?" Kozuki snapped back with authority.

Yet Sinacide met her words with a calm air. She lowered her hands, finding their way back to her hips. "I find you funny, which is why I find you adorable."

"Don't mock me!"

"But how can't I? You refuse change! You blame us for your shortcomings, but it's your stubbornness that blinds you. There isn't any more of the good ol' days for you or anybody! And if you need more proof to you dreaming of the past life," her finger pointed once again to Kozuki as she made a bold statement, "look to your name—Code Z.E.R.O.! Zero is lost in the shadows of politics nowadays. Sure, he is with Lady Nunnally, but he's a mere shell of his former self!"

"You don't know anything about Zero, or about our organization!"

"You're more than some grassroots activist group looking for equality for the Japanese. You've sided with the very same people who tried destroying you, and for what? Tell me because I'd sure as hell like to know what they're offering you! And let me know if it's worth it too! You once told me of the Japanese pride and what you all were fighting for, but it seems to me you're quick to sell out just because you're not getting your way?" Sinacide scoffed once again, turning her head with a look of disgust. "You know what…, forget about my offer." She closed her eyes. "I'd rather not be with someone with no pride as a human being—as a woman." She opened them once more and pinned Kallen with a look that made even the Japanese woman flinch. "You're not the woman I once knew…and respected."

"What the hell?"

"C'mon," Sinacide motioned for Kozuki's advance, cold stare and all, "let's get this over with."

"Don't count me out just yet."

Sinacide hissed as Ryoko came to Kozuki's side, swords at her sides. The SF agent though laughed a little a moment later at her, "You won't be able to sneak up on me anymore with that smell on you."

Ryoko grunted, sheathing her swords, much to Sinacide and Kozuki's surprise.

"Giving up?" Celeste wondered, shrugging her shoulders.

Ryoko offered no reply as she came out of her blazer and tossing it aside. Next went her beret, her short black hair puffing up into small spikes. In a mere black sports bra and leather pants, Ryoko revealed the many foreign tattoos on her arms and body.

"I see you're getting serious," Sinacide took a step back, chuckling. "But you'll need everything you've got just to keep me interested, Nexus pawn—especially your swords."

Still, nothing from Ryoko…bringing her hands out in front of herself, she pressed them against one another and brought them tight against her chest.

"So what you're a ninja now?"

Ryoko responded to her adversary's taunts, finally, "I am Ryoko Kazama, a warrior versed in the art of Shitenno."

"So I was right." Sinacide rolled her eyes, snickering.

"Wrong!" Ryoko snapped back, making even Sinacide flinch with her voice. "I am Superior Sion's subordinate, but before I became his right-hand woman, I served along the Omega. I learned this art from him, and you'll be the first to see it in action. Must be nice," she smirked.

Celeste laughed. "So you _are_ going all out then?"

"For an overconfident brat like you," her smirk grew slyer, "Not really."

"Really? Well, let's see what ya got then!"

"Fine, but you've been warned."

As if timed perfectly with those words, an enormous amount of pressure forced the Special Forces agent onto one knee. Kozuki was caught off-guard with the sudden change in the air, falling to the ground as Ryoko laughed at Talon. Watching her kneel to the intense spiritual energies at work entertained her to no end. The black-inked tattoos across her body took on an orange glow as the pressure grew stronger. Ryoko's laughter suddenly became screams as she tilted her head to the sky, spreading her feet, and pushing her hands to her sides, shouting, "Shitenno Arts: Komoku-ten!"

Suddenly, the pressure vanished. The sinking feeling inside of Kozuki and Sinacide's bodies faded, and they were able to stand once again.

"What kind of shit was that?" Sinacide hissed as she rose onto her feet, snapping her right arm out and creating her blue energy sword around her hand. "Some kind of hocus-pocus magic?"

Ryoko dropped her hands, dropping onto her knees as if she lost her balance.

Sinacide scowled. "Are you serious? Done already?"

As if answering her question, Ryoko came back onto her feet, her tattoos continued to emit their orange radiance. Once she locked with eyes with Sinacide, however…

Celeste shuddered at what she saw. "What the fuck…?"

* * *

The explosion of Sion's attack and the intense heat evaporated the water Poseidon may have used to reform himself. Landing back onto of the roof, Sion searched for any traces of water as he sheathed Hakumei. It was confirmed after searching for the boy's aura—he was dead.

Without so much as a word, Sion straightened his coat before turning on his heel towards the exterior exit.

"Yo."

Sion halted at the voice. He sensed an aura different from Poseidon's. This one was…it _seemed_ stronger than Poseidon's. He turned to the man clad in golden IGPF armor who sat on the glass pane of the skylight, swishing a glass of water in his hand.

The yellow-eyed IGPF agent sighed as he poured the water out of the glass then tossed it aside.

Sion grunted. "A waste," he uttered.

The agent smiled, resting his cheek on his steel fist. "Not really."

He proved Sion wrong as the small puddle of water bubbled. Sion watched the puddle, knowing already what was going on. He locked his eyes on the agent and quickly released Hakumei from its scabbard as he prepared to act. He swung his sword, and—

"Not so far!"

Without blinking an eye, the man was right before Sion's eyes, blocking his sword with his armored hand! It seemed impossible, but Sion…

"It seems a little unfair not to let the kid get back onto his feet," the agent scolded with a stern expression, "don't you think, dude?"

"I suppose I'll have to cut you down as well," Sion said, slipping Hakumei through the man's hand as he spun back. Sheathing it then releasing it once more, he unleashed another White Flash that quickly overwhelmed the rooftop with its destructive light. "Drown within the White Flash," holstering his sword, Sion watched the following explosion collapse the section of roofing in front of him. The tremors shook the very foundations of the building, threatening to send it crashing down. Sion retreated to the next building, running up the walls before somersaulting onto its roof. He saw the building behind him, and it hadn't fallen. Either way, it was better safe than sor—

"That was a close one, eh?"

"I suppose," Sion answered, without knowing who was standing in front of him. The hamster wheel in his mind started to spin again, but he was baffled to see that same man standing in front of him! "Again?"

The man's smile was more than an answer for Sion, a body of water taking shape behind the IGPF agent and taking the form of Poseidon. The boy took a breath of air and exhaled dramatically, falling on his butt.

"Wow, you saved me back there, Macabre."

"Te-huh," Macabre snorted, shaking his head as he crossed his arms. "Whatever, kid. You're damn lucky I was here to pull your fishy ass outta of the fire this time. Next time, this guy just may roast you!"

"Then I should use _him_ then?" Poseidon inquired with a wide, childish grin.

Macabre grunted, hunching his shoulders. "Do whatever, but make it quick. We don't have all morning, not to mention the damage being done."

Poseidon giggled and nodded. "Right, right! Gotcha!"

"Have fun with him, NEXUS Superior," Macabre told Sion before vanishing into thin air.

"Macabre is always like that," Poseidon explained, stretching his arms as he yawned. "He never likes to stick around and fight."

"A coward then?" Sion wondered aloud, taking a step towards the teenaged operative.

Poseidon's juvenile ways soon disappeared, facing Sion for another round of combat. He had to take Sion seriously now if he expected to accomplish the mission alive. Sion was strong, but he was far from invincible. There was a way to rid Poseidon of his opponent, and it rested within his _true_ abilities as a superhuman.

This was it…no more games. Still, Poseidon refused to rid himself of his small smile though his eyes revealed a much darker intent than just "playtime". Sion readied himself for whatever the brat had in store for him, assuming his stance with Hakumei half-drawn.

"Arise," the boy whispered, "Leviathan…"

* * *

"What the hell is going on?" Sinacide cursed, sensing a foreign energy inside of Ryoko. The blood red eyes of the NEXUS subordinate astonished Sinacide, and the spiral tattoo forming on her forehead only adding to her bewilderment. "What kind of freaky shit is going on with you? Your eyes changed colors."

"Komoku-ten, the eyes of one of the Four Heavenly Kings…they will allow me to 'see all before me'," Ryoko drew her katanas, spinning them around with flicks of her wrists before tossing them in the air. Holding her hands out as her swords twirled mid-air, she continued, "They also allow me to unleash one of my katanas many forms, so come—Kadru and Vasuki!"

Her swords transformed before Sinacide's very eyes, returning to Ryoko's hands in the forms of twisted blades with ancient writings. "A little over the top," Sinacide jested, "don't you think?"

"You challenged me, so what did you expect?" Ryoko sneered. "An easy win from a 'NEXUS tool'? It's about time I show you why we're the only ones capable of bringing Nirvana, and it all starts with this fight."

"Drama Queen," Sinacide growled. "Let's just go already! I'm tired of drawing this out!"

Ryoko replied with a snort. "Very well…" the pupils in her eyes dilating, she smiled as she charged forward towards her IGPF adversary.

With her energy sword out afar, Sinacide rushed forward as well, though the strange energy Ryoko emitted irked her on the inside. Still, for the sake of pride she couldn't afford to allow a mere subordinate to win!

A shame that Ryoko already 'saw' the battle ahead—this technique would push her human body to its limits, but it would be worth it just to shut Celeste Sinacide up.

* * *

And there laid Phantom, his body motionless on the ground as were his minions—the Phantasma Unit. Still, Raijin wouldn't sheathe his blade. This wasn't over.

Not by a long shot…why?

Because once Raijin shot Phantom with his Crimson Lightning blast, he saw underneath his mask and it wasn't what he wanted to see.

The Phantom he faced…

Raijin gripped his blade at the mere thought of it.

"Come."

Raijin turned to the voice, scowling as he stepped forward.

It was time for another round, because the Phantom Raijin killed was a mere puppet. Evaporating into dust, the false supernatural disappeared from existence as the 'real' Phantom stood before Urimori.

Six black scythes revolving around the hovering mystic, they halted as they formed a circle in front of him as he snapped into his fighting stance. "Now, there are no more games. Show me your powers, Raijin the Reaver!"

Another wing sprouting from the right side of his back, Raijin kicked up a ferocious gust in his wake as he took his position.

No one was holding anything back anymore.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

**

* * *

  
**

_A/N: Shitenno_ means 'Four Heavenly Kings' four Buddhist deities that protect four quarters of the world. _Komoku-ten_ is the guardian of the west whose color was red. His followers were Nagas.

_Kadru_ is the ancestral mother of snakes.

_Vasuki_ is the king of snakes.


	31. Triangle Defense

_**As the IGPF collides with NEXUS…**_

"Let us begin your training, Blitzkrieg brothers!"

The gauntlet was set. The rays of the morning sun shot through the skylight panes of the auxiliary gym as the three brothers stared down their competition.

"Are you ready for this?" the white-haired leader of the World Heroes, Jin Phoebus, challenged them with a confident smile. "With this skirmish, you will grasp the extent of your abilities as you face off against the Elite. Maelstrom…"

The long, blonde-haired sorceress maintained her indifference as she eyed Sam Blitzkrieg, arms crossed below her breasts.

"My son, Phaeton…"

"Blade will do," his son corrected him whilst studying his rival—Drake Blitzkrieg.

Jin chuckled, his eye focused on _his_ opponent. "And of course, I, Jin Phoebus…"

Maurice smirked, sliding his foot far back and leaning forward as he took his stance.

Phoebus thrust his hand out, his white jacket flapping in the wind as a burst of his energy invaded the large room. Their soldiers watching from the outside through the observation windows, they felt the power of their leader even beyond the fiberglass.

Maurice snickered, a chill shooting up his spine. "Man, that's scary."

"Yeah," Serge raised his fist, "seems like pretty boy is stronger than he looks!"

"Heh," Blade's smirk grew more arrogant as he folded his arms before Serge, "you should be worrying about me, Zing Boy."

Serge scoffed, pointing a rude finger his opponent's way with an ugly expression. "No one was talking to you. I said 'Pretty boy'—not 'Ugly Emo'!"

That struck a nerve…Jin and Maelstrom visually saw the vein squirming on the side of Blade's forehead as he stamped his feet. "What was that?"

Maelstrom grunted at Blade's ignorance before returning her gaze upon the youngest of the Blitzkrieg brothers. One of the most powerful sorceress was engaging in combat against a mere human? Jin said nothing about Blitz possessing superhuman abilities, so why waste time on him—much less place Maelstrom against him? She would destroy him easily.

Even in knowing this, Blitz kept his cool as he took his position with his brothers.

And Maurice…

"I expect the best out of you, Sonic the Blitzkrieg," Phoebus smiled, his energy creating steady wind that wrapped around him. Forming his extended hand into a fist, he clenched it tight as the wind dispersed as quickly as it came. "Now, shall we get started?"

It was three-on-three once again.

* * *

**Episode 31**- Triangle Defense

* * *

"Let's get this party started!" Serge yelled, taking the lead as he and his brothers hurried into close-quarters of their adversaries.

Blade slid in front of Maelstrom and his father, brandishing his chain blades with overwhelming pride. "I'll take care of this chump!" his large grin displayed much sin as he and Serge collided into each other, head-first. Showing how much of a hard head he possessed, Blade pushed his cranium against Serge's equally tough skull. "That was a pussy rush! You still a virgin?"

"At least I can keep a girlfriend, Emo!" Serge roared back, sparks of electricity engulfing the two. He leaned back and screamed as he swung his fist only to meet Blade's. Pushing it back with that same hand, he continued the same process, clashing bone and sinew against the Elite member.

"At least I know how many holes a girl has!" The punches became faster as they ascended from the ground.

"Go slit your wrists!" Serge connected with a punch to Blade's face, sending hurdling to the ground.

Blade was stronger than Serge believed as he stopped himself in mid-air with a grand display of acrobatics, unleashing a tempest of barbed chains. "Taste my Chain Storm!" he cackled. "Show him no mercy, Viper and Cobra!"

"Watch this!" Blitz started off his battle against Maelstrom, encasing his right arm in pure steel with his mechanical backpack and transforming it into the, "Blitz Cannon!" he immediately fired off a powerful shot of yellow energy.

Maelstrom's eye widened a little at the sudden attack and the force behind the attack. Nonetheless, her expression regressed to its original, uninterested appearance as the blast of energy bounced off in another direction before even hitting the sorceress.

"No way!" the boy hissed as he fired off more shots from his Blitz Cannon in rapid succession, his jet shoes carrying around the battlefield at quick speeds.

The end result was the same, unfortunately. All of his shots deflected!

"What the hell is going on?" he yelled, spinning around to a stop to face an immobile Maelstrom.

The sorceress grunted again, answering him after a pause, "This is a waste of my time. You _do_ realize you're fighting a sorceress, right?"

"Yeah, I figured!" Blitz snapped, training his cannon's sights on the blonde.

"No, you haven't." Maelstrom flicked strands of her hair as she took her stance, finally. "Allow me to give you a demonstration, and maybe then you'll realize just how weak you truly are!"

She thrust her hand forward with authority, her magical energies creating a powerful gale that kept Blitz at bay. "I won't need my Chaos Cataract for riff-raff like you!" she taunted, swiping the air with her hand. "Try dodging this!"

Suddenly, dozens of ice needles appeared around Blitz!

"My Ice Needles should get my point across!"

"Lame joke!" Blitz sneered, snapping his cannon arm to his side. "You're underestimating me, and you'll pay for it!"

Maelstrom's eye twitched, her irritation growing. "Whatever," she huffed, snapping her fingers. "Converge!"

The ice needles honed in on the youngest Blitzkrieg at frightening speeds, but he came prepared against such situations. Forming an energy whip from the port of his cannon, he sliced the icicles in half before they hit their mark, swinging it around as he spun around. Maelstrom growled as Blitz cracked the energy whip on the ground, reshaping it into the form of an energy sword. "I won't go down that easily!" the boy warned her, motioning for her next move with his human arm. "C'mon, let's go!"

As Maelstrom flicked her hair again, Sonic unleashed a flood of punch and kick combos Jin's way, but Jin merely swayed to the rhythm inside of his head, avoiding each blow albeit barely. Phoebus smiled as Sonic somersaulted over his head, landing behind him and charging him from his blindside.

"Your agility is amazing, Maurice!" Jin pivoted on his foot, slapping Sonic's hand to the side as the young man came running into close-quarters range. "However," in the blink of an eye, afterimages of Phoebus passed through Blitzkrieg, "you are still a diamond in the rough."

And jolts of electricity shot through the eldest Blitzkrieg, catching him off-guard and forcing him onto his knees. Catching himself with his gloved hands, the blue-haired fighter took what short breathes he had for the moment. "What…was…?"

"You didn't see me?"

"If I did," Maurice emerged on his feet, catching his final breath and reassuming his stance, "I would have dodged it, right?"

"Touché," Phoebus turned to Blitzkrieg, extending a delicate hand to his opponent. "I merely matched your speed—at least for a short burst. You are fast, but you cannot see true speed. _That_ is your weakness."

"_C'mon_!" Blitzkrieg launched towards Phoebus in the blink of an eye, displaying blinding speed as he unleashed a flurry of high-speed fist combos. His hands were mere blurs as he overwhelmed Jin with his momentum. "Match my speed now!"

Snapping his legs out, he blew Jin away with a devastating tornado. The leader of the World Heroes, however, landed softly, arms folded as he smiled at Sonic's display of technique. "Impressive, now you're getting it!"

Flying out of his own twister, Blitzkrieg charged Phoebus once more. "Let's go at it again!" he shouted, meeting his fists with Phoebus', energies exploding in shockwaves that knocked the inexperienced fighter back before the engagement began. "Man!" he hissed, shaking his hands as Phoebus stood before him. He snorted. "What're you so smug about?"

Jin failed to realize the smirk on his countenance. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Come at me again, Sonic!"

"You got it!" He catapulted himself into close-range once more, jumping high off the ground and meeting Phoebus as he landed with another onslaught of hooks and lightning-fast kicks.

Even now, Jin weaved through Sonic's attacks as if they were coming to him in slow-motion! He deflected one of the kicks with simple slap, knocking Blitzkrieg off-balance. "Dodge this!" he challenged, rushing his adversary in a burst of speed, after-images in his wake.

Sonic quickly regained his equilibrium and focused on the incoming attack. Opening his eyes wide, he saw it! "Now!"

He ducked underneath Jin's right cross and—

"Not good enough!" Jin surprised him, coming from the side with a jaw-breaking straight, sending Sonic spinning far back to the ground with a sickening thud. The white-haired aristocrat grunted, tilting his chin at Sonic. "Can you stand after that?"

"Maurice!" Blitz yelled from across the gymnasium as he watched his brother fall.

"You should be more concerned about yourself!" Maelstrom snarled, waving her right hand around in the air to form an energy circle. Thrusting her palm out, she completed the incantation. "Crystalline Prison!"

As her voice echoed in the arena, Blitz felt the air around him grow frigid. Suddenly he felt a sharp sensation in his body telling him to, "Move!"

Dashing backwards thanks to his jet boots, he avoided the crystal formation from trapping him as it spiraled to the ceiling before bursting into millions of shards. He swiped his energy sword, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

"Think it's that easy?" Maelstrom scowled, still waving her right hand about. "As if I'm finished yet!"

Blitz lit fire under his boots as the ground beneath him rumbled. More crystal towers continued to rise from the ground, hoping to trap the young man in their cold grasp. He spun around them all the while moving in closer towards the sorceress. "Don't take me lightly just because I'm a human!"

"You've said that already!"

A sudden tower of ice flipped Sam over, but he managed to fly back down into Maelstrom's range, readying his fist for a punch the woman would never forget!

But Maelstrom saw it coming—too easy. She snickered, "Arrogant brat…"

A crystal prison ensnared Blitz! Stopping him within inches of Maelstrom's face, the ice formation locked the youngest Blitzkrieg inside its sub-zero interior. Her smile said it all, relishing the rage in Samuel's eyes. "Didn't I tell you? You're no match for me!"

"Ahahahahahahahahaha!" Blade Phoebus cackled as the storm of barbed chains encircled the area around Serge, giving him little freedom of movement. The rowdy young man maneuvered perfectly through the jungle, nonetheless, meeting Serge again in mid-air for close-quarters combat. "Give it up, pussy! You ain't got a chance in hell against me!"

Serge's electric fist smashed Blade's nose in and knocked him back, but Blade came storming back in for more! "The hell…?" he snapped, barely avoiding Blade's charge. "You some kind of masochist, too?"

Blade jumped off one of the chains, grabbed Serge by the neck, and slammed him into another chain, piercing his skin with the razor-sharp barbs. The twisted smirk on Blade's face gave Serge a weird feeling. "You think this is pain? If so you, you ain't lived yet! But then again, humans don't live long enough anyway!"

Serge grunted, straining to talk despite Blade's cold hand squeezing his esophagus. Even so, he managed to get out a chuckle, "Well…you're in…for a…shock!"

His body in contact with the barbs and chain, he released a massive jolt of electrical energy, creating a destructive light show since Blade had engulfed his battle area with his chains.

Jin and Maelstrom flinched as Blade's screams reverberated in their ears. They snapped their heads in the boy's direction.

"Damn," Maelstrom uttered, jolts of electricity zapping around her.

Jin shuddered, sensing the pain Phaeton was experiencing. "Son…"

Now Sonic saw his chance! Using sheer will as the driving force behind his incredible burst of speed, he rushed into Jin's range in a flash, tightening his fist as tight as he could. The adrenaline pumped through his veins, and he gritted his teeth as he growled, "Gotcha now!"

Jin was far too slow, turning his head only to see Maurice twist his insides as he punched him hard in the stomach, saliva erupting from his mouth. His words were on empty air as his breath left him, the power behind Sonic's punch devastating him! "No…way…"

"My new attack!" Sonic yelled as the light of his attack's aura illuminated the arena. "_Sonic Blast_!"

The explosion was heard throughout the entire flying headquarters, the light escaping every window in the gymnasium.

Was this the power Jin spoke of? Even so, did he predict that he would be on the receiving end of it?

* * *

"Whoa…"

"Something wrong, Vulcan?" Cloud asked the fair-haired sorcerer as they sat inside the cockpit of their ship, flying the Mars skies as they left the Parliament HQ's airspace. "You look as though you've had a scare."

Vulcan sighed, favoring his chest. "I just swore I sensed a swell in energy. It was pretty damn strong."

"An evil energy?"

A shake of Vulcan's head, "No. It wasn't bad—just strong."

"Do you know where it came from?" Cloud questioned, crossing his arms and lowering his visage into his mauve scarf.

"No, not really."

"It's nothing to worry about," Shadow intervened, coming from the back, standing between the two sitting in the pilot and co-pilot seats. "No power compares to mine."

"Man, you're pretty damn arrogant," Vulcan pointed out with a roll of his eyes.

"I am the ultimate life form. There is nothing stronger than me." He added the tightening of his gloved fist for emphasis for Vulcan.

Still, the sorcerer laughed.

"You find my proclamation funny?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Why is that?"

"Because I'm stronger than you," he noticed the expression on Shadow's face from out the corner of his eye, and it made him smile more. "Have you forgotten who you're dealing with?"

"You are no God of Sorcery," Shadow muttered. "Were you a god, you would have defeated that swordsman with ease."

"Shadow, you just don't understand because you don't know what it's like to have friends."

"_Shadow…"_

Again with the calling of his name from that mysterious girl…why did it come just as Vulcan said those words? Perhaps she could have been…no.

"I don't need friends," he told them, turning away and folding his arms as he closed his eyes. "All I need is power. That alone will help me regain my memories."

"Shadow, you're so full of shit," Vulcan cackled, letting his hands roam from the pilot controls to hold his head back as he laughed. He calmed himself shortly after, grabbing the wheel as he looked back at the so-called ultimate life form. "You may not see it now, but your _power_ isn't the real reason why you'll find your memories."

"Hmmph," Shadow glanced over his shoulder, "then what will?"

"Heh," the sorcerer smiled wide before turning back forward. "You'll just have to figure that on your own. And then you'll see for yourself the power of a team!"

* * *

_**Everyone stands in awe…**_

As the dust cleared, Maurice stood there, staring at the very same fist that 'rocked' Jin Phoebus' world. An attack that Sonic didn't know he knew, and a power he never thought fathomable…it was at his fingertips.

Maelstrom gawked at the elder Blitzkrieg, sensing the aura filling the air—_his_ aura! "I don't believe it…," she gasped. "That can't be…the power Jin was talking about? How could he let him catch him off-guard like that?"

"Kind of like this?"

Maelstrom turned but she was too late—just like Jin! A blast of energy knocked her off her feet, and the ice prison shattered before her eyes as she fell to the ground. She caught herself, hovering and floating back onto her feet, scowling as she watched Blitz fly to his brother with a scarred Serge.

Standing beside their brother, they surveyed the damage of Sonic's new _Sonic Blast_, and grinned. Glancing at each other, Serge and Blitz nodded.

"Guess this means we're in," Serge said...

"Not quite."

…Though it may have been a bit premature.

Emerging through the rubble of the collapsed wall was none other than—

"He's still standing!" Blitz shouted.

Maurice groaned, a sinking feeling bubbling in his stomach as he locked eyes with…

Stepping into the clear, he flicked strands of his white hair and dusted dirt from his tattered clothing. It seemed impossible though not a scratch was on his body! Did Sonic's attack even harm him? Was he merely playing into the moment?

"Jin," Maelstrom called to him, flying to his side.

"You've done well in drawing their abilities out, Maelstrom—as has my son," Jin said as he tilted his head far back, running his fingers through his locks of hair. "However, I shall deal with them from here on out."

"Wait, you plan on--"

"Well, we do have a certain spectator who's dying to see me in action," he cut her off, his words becoming somewhat callous and dry. He dropped his head, slowly raising it to exchange gazes with the Blitzkrieg brothers.

Standing in the rafters, arms folded, _she_ grinned as she sensed Jin's aura change suddenly.

Their eyes met and the Blitzkrieg brothers felt a tremendous chill rushing down their spines as Jin's aura took over.

"Come now, boys," he uttered, both eyes—white and crimson locked on his opponents. "Let's see how well you work together against me."

The pupil inside Jin Phoebus' crimson eye shaped itself into the silhouette of a bird and he smiled. "How I despise using this…"

_**...Before the power of Jin Phoebus…**_

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
